South Australia 's The War

World War II was the most devastating war in history and saw more people killed, service men, women and civilians alike than any war before or since. Virtually every part of the world was included in the conflict during the years 1939-1945, and Australia was involved extensively. Due to the nature of war the Australian Government imposed a series of wartime controls and restrictions that negatively affected the everyday life of civilians. During World War II, laws were introduced that restricted individual freedoms to promote the idea of austerity. The policies included cutting consumption, going without, wasting nothing, living simply, conscription, manpower controls, rationing and

Australia entered the war in 1939 and it became at their doorstep on the 19th February 1942, Nazi Germany and Japan were major enemies to Australia during the war. Australia’s foreign policy and changing alliance during 1942 impacted our national identity because Australia developed a new relationship with America, while it weakened the strong connection with Britain, which demonstrates that Australia was starting to become its own independent country. At the beginning of war, Australia had a strong relationship and alliance with Britain, making Britain their leaders when entering the war. Secondly, as the war progressed Australia began to look to America as an opportunity for protection from the Japanese, while Britain was fighting their own

"In less than twenty years we have nearly swept them off the face of the earth. We have shot them down like dogs." Edward Wilson recorded in 1856. The policy of the government was to fight against aboriginals from 1797, the British government sent soldiers to kill indigenous groups who wanted farms and attacked colonists, and ordered to fire them until they ran away. With limited weapons, Indigenous people failed to resist to British settlers who had guns ( Skwirk Education online). Tasmania’s Black War was the most violent frontier battle in Australian history. Over 1000 aboriginal people died and 223 colonists were killed in the Black War (Clements

Prior to World War 1, Australians on the whole suffered due to their geographical isolation, which technology had yet to defeat. Transport was solely by arduous sea journey, which restricted travel and communication with the rest of the world. The mass transfer of Australian youth to fight in Europe enabled the world to see for the first time the unique culture which was developing in this far away land. Recognition and respect was quickly given for the courage, good humour and strength in adversity displayed by Australian soldiers. The easy going egalitarian troops challenged the military norms of their British counterparts. While this

During the early war period, there was a rush of Australian men enlisting to defend their mother country. The inherent sense of pride and patriotism that pervades Australian culture today was part of the driving force behind these men’s intentions. The First World War was propagated as an opportunity to seek adventure and see new exotic places, all the while defending their country. Peer pressure played a major role in inspiring these young men to enlist as they were told to “do their nation proud”. Conclusively, there were a variety of factors contributing to a young man’s urge to enlist but the hastened timeframe and imminent “call to adventure” caused the rush of people to enlist between 1914 to 1915.

New weapons and defensive techniques were implemented here, a huge turning point for battle tactics and causes of death for the remainder of WW1. Hazardous gases were used alongside new machinery such as military tanks to form a stronger defensive stance, and although trenches were used in Gallipoli warfare, they became increasingly more popular in attacking techniques at the Western Front. The major Battle of Fromelles was also a great struggle for Australian soldiers as their enemies held higher grounds where possible, and there was little experience in working the artillery fire as it was the first ever battle for the AIF (Australian Imperial Force). Additionally, the Australian troops were placed majoritively on the front line at all times by the British. This accounted for the large number of losses and sacrifices of the ANZACs at the Western Front battles compared to the soldiers of other nations who also fought alongside the British. A quote from Lieutenant Hugh Knyvett, 59th Battalion, 15th Brigade (1916) expressed the great hardships that the soldiers were soon to face on the Western Front, unprepared and inexperienced. Knyvett is a credible source as he was one of the soldiers who fought on the Western Front, and was a Lieutenant during these battles. Knyvett says: “We had not been two days in the trenches before we knew that we were destined for an attack on the trenches opposite and we had not had time even to know the way about our own lines” (Wilkinson 2011). In addition, a letter sent home by John Alexander Raws, a credible SA Soldier who also took part in WW1 (1916) furthermore displays what hardships presented itself on the Western

Although both the World Wars had significant impacts on Australians, the statement that wartime controls in World War One had a greater impact on Australians than they did in World War Two is fairly inaccurate. There are a number of reasons as to why this was the case, as demonstrated through the government 's wartime controls. One of the wartime controls that was utilised by the government in both World Wars but had greater impact on Australians in World War Two was conscription. Another wartime control that had a higher degree of impact on Australians in World War Two than in World War One was the detainment and isolation of ‘enemy aliens’ when the government again took steps to protect their national security. With such a large number of servicemen deployed overseas, the role of women in Australia also changed drastically to meet the needs of the armed forces, the government and the economy and this influenced Australian life more in World War Two. Therefore, although both wars affected the lives of many Australians in mental, physical, social and economic aspects, the wartime controls of World War Two had a much greater impact on Australians than in World War One.

During World War I, the Australian home front was impacted by a long and varying list of occurrences during the period of time between the years of 1914 to 1918. The home front was influenced politically through the arguments over the conscription vote and as Australia became divided between the different war beliefs. It was also influenced by social change, as the use of censorship drastically altered the Australians’ views of war and women began to pick up odd jobs in order to assist the soldiers as very few of them were allowed to directly help as nurses in Gallipoli. There were also extreme economic alterations as the wages in Australia were pushed down and prices were pushed up, and the country discarded major trade partners who had become their enemy.

The Kokoda Campaign (1942-1943) in World War Two impacted Australia greatly because it saved Australia from isolation by the Japanese forces, their values the soldiers demonstrated shaped Australia’s identity and it enabled the Allies to improve their military operations and plan their attack on Japan more effectively. The victory in the Kokoda Track meant that the Japanese never captured Port Moresby, reducing the possibility of an attack on Australia. Australia’s identity was developed because of the courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice of the Australian soldiers, despite the hardships they faced. The victory at Kokoda, helped the Allies immensely, as regaining Port Moresby and the territory that the

Last year, on the 25th of April was the centenary of the Gallipoli landing. Which, according to the Australian Defence force website, was to be for Australians, “one of the most significant commemorations to take place during their lifetime.” With the centenary looming in the backs of the minds of the Australian people, it is unsurprising that great pains have been taken to construct a three year long celebration that would “encompass a number of historical milestones on Australia 's involvement in conflicts”, such as both World Wars, Korea and Vietnam.

Australians are known for their bravery and mateship. Defending our country at war is a significant part of the Australian identity. Donald Bruce Dawe who was a soldier during the Vietnam War has written about the horrors that these soldiers faced in his poem “Homecoming”. Jeff Cook’s “Grandpa what did you do in the war?” also highlights the struggles associated with being involved in war. This piece was written for the soldiers who returned home and the ones that lost their lives fighting for Australia.

‘We’re all Australians now’ draws the reader to see the war from a positive Australia home front perspective. Texts from

Another aspect of wartime Australia that history likes to forget is the emergence of an intense Anti-German movement. In 1914, within a week of the Declaration of War, all German-Australian citizens were declared ‘enemy aliens’ and required by law to report to government offices to report their residential addresses (NSW Migration Heritage Centre 2011). By February 1915, the definition of ‘enemy alien’ came to include those born in Australia, but with parents or grandparents of German or Austrian decent. Due to the number of citizens now classified as ‘enemy aliens’, it became impossible to intern all of them, and the policy of selective internment was aimed at leaders of the German Australian community, including high ranking officials of

I chose this topic initially because of my family history through my grandfather’s family who were predominantly Jewish. To add more depth to my investigation I decided to compare another person’s experience in a completely different side of the war. I chose to ask a family friend, a retired Australian soldier.

Australia had always acknowledge Britain as the “mother country”. When Britain declared war on Germany for invading Poland, Australia was announced to be at war by the former Prime Minister, Gordon Menzies. “Fellow Australians, it is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that, in consequence of the persistence of Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her, and that, as a result, Australia is also at war.”