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CONDITIONS FOR AUSTRALIANS/CHALLENGES FOR AUSTRALIANS

“we are lousy, stinking, ragged, unshaven and sleepless. My tunic is rotten with another man’s blood, partly splattered with a dead comrade’s brains.”
- Alec Raws, 2nd Division, letter home

“The exaggerated machinations of hell are here typified. Everywhere the ground is littered with bits of guns, bayonets, shells and men Oh, the frightfulness of it all Until my dying day I shall never forget this”
-Captain Frank Hurley , Official Photographer of the AIF, 23 August 1917, at 'Hill 60'.

-Informal portrait of Captain C E W Bean, Official War Correspondent, knee deep in mud in Gird trench, near Gueudecourt in France, during the winter of 1916-1917.

-Australian ambulance men at Bernafay assisting their comrades, who are suffering from trench feet, to a transport which is to convey them to hospital. Left to right: 9911 Private G. W. James; 13972 Private J. Sturrock, 14th Australian Field Ambulance (carrying patient); 13956 Lance Corporal W. J. James MM, 14th Australian Field Ambulance (carrying patient). In the background are Nissen huts erected by the 14th Field Ambulance.

Of the more than 295,000 Australians who served in this theatre of war in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), 46,000 lost their lives and 132,000 were wounded.

MAJOR BATTLES AUSTRALIANS INVOLVED IN ON WESTERN FRONT

After leaving Gallipoli in 1915, the vast majority of Australian troops were sent on to fight on the Western Front in Europe. Here they were involved in a series of major operations that resulted in heavy losses and led to a great decrease in support for the war effort back home in Australia.

Fromelles-19 July 1916

Australian soldiers on the frontline at Fromelles in 1916

Somme Engagement- 28 000 Australians die, July-November 1916

Unidentified members of the Australian 5th division on “Smoko” at the Somme.

German retreat to the Hindenburg Line –February 1917

Third Battle of Ypres - September to November 1917 (also known as the battle of Passchendaele)

Australian soldiers at Ypres. A challenge faced here that had not been seen before in the war was the use of chemical weapons, in this case Mustard Gas. We see the Australians have responded here by wearing gas masks.

Important involvement in countering the German Spring offensive of March 1918, which morphed into the hundred days offensive which led to eventual armistice

During this period, the Australian Imperial Force was engaged at Mont St Quentin, St Quentin Canal and Montbrehain.

During this period the Australian Corps actually worked quite a few times side by side with the Canadian Corps!!

battle casualties for three years of trench warfare between 1916 and 1918 amounted to over 181 000 men of whom more than 46 000 died. Another 114 000 were wounded, 16 000 gassed and almost 4000 taken prisoner. In terms of total deaths per 1000 men mobilised, the Australian Imperial Force figure was 145 – the highest of all the British Commonwealth armies.

Effect on the Home Front

Australians were becoming aware that this war was not the great adventure envisaged in 1914.

A GREAT SITE FOR A BROAD LOOK AT THINGS RELATING TO THE HOME FRONT

http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww1/homefront/index.html

1914

52,561

1915

165,912

1916

124,352

1917

45,105

1918

28,883

TOTAL

416,809

These statistic show that the early European conflicts took their toll. We see a marked drop in enlistment following 1916, the year of the first major battles on the Western Front that Australians were involved with. Especially looking at the events at the Somme, a battle that lasted from July to November 1916, and left 20 000 Australians dead. These statistics would suggest that this news heading home did not sit well with a wider Australian populous.

By 1917-1918 all the initial enthusiasm of the “baptism of fire” that Gallipoli was marketed as was gone. The huge economic cost of the war was having a very visible effect back home (profiteering led to cost of living starting to far outstrip average wages), casualty lists continued to grow and there were no substantial victories seen in Europe. This all worked towards decreasing enlistment and turned many people back home against the war.

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Indigenous Australian servicemen

Change in attitudes

In general, Indigenous Australians served in the same army units as other soldiers, and endured similar conditions. For many Aboriginal people, the time they spent enlisted in the army was the first time they had experienced equal treatment since white settlement in Australia. However, this equality did not last long and it upon return to post- war life in Australia, Aboriginal people continued to experience the same prejudice and discrimination as they had before.

First World War

Over 1000 Indigenous Australians fought in the First World War. During this period, in Australia, Indigenous people experience very few rights, low wages, and lived in very poor conditions compared to White Australians. Indigenous Australians did not have the chance to vote and were not included in the census. However, this inequality did not exist to the same extent in the AIF, were they received the same pay as other soldiers and lived in the same conditions.

Enlistment and Service First World War

When war first broke out, many Indigenous Australians were rejected on the grounds of their race. However, by October 1917, recruits were harder to find and once the conscriptions referendum had been lost, restrictions on who could enlist were lifted. A new military order stated: ‘Half-castes may be enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force providing that the examining Medical Officers are satisfied that one of the parents is of European origin’. This allowed people who were of Aboriginal heritage but had one European parent to enlist in the army.

Why did they fight?

Many Indigenous Australians chose to fight in the war effort because they saw it as an opportunity to prove they were equal to White Australians. For others, they were encouraged to enlist by the offer of 6 shillings a day and a trip overseas.

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-How did the war effort move the temperance movement forward?
Alcohol was a target of middle class reformers who believed that Australia’s commitment to the war should be displayed in its moral as well as military actions.

-What was the argument against the consumption of alcohol on the homefront?

Drink was an evil which threatened the sanctity of family and made men profligate and violent. Drinking was also seen as a leisurely activity that should not have been enjoyed while people were dying for the empire.

-What events contributed to the desire to curb pub's serving hours until 6?   Stories of riots in Liverpool training camp in 1916 spurred the cause – temperance movement advocated for the limiting of pubs hours for serving alcohol and by the end of 1916, all states except QLD introduced 6 pm closing hours – limited social and leisure activities of the working class

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KEY WESTERN FRONT BATTLES AUSTRALIANS WERE INVOLVED WITH

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KEY WESTERN FRONT BATTLES AUSTRALIANS WERE INVOLVED WITH

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•What reasons were given for Australia’s involvement in the war? A loyalty to Britain and a desire to support the mother country/make Australia proud and recognised in the eyes of 'great nations' like Britain and European countries. Australia feared being seen as irrelevant or weak, mostly due to its position so far away from Britain and Europe. The war provided a chance for Australia to prove itself as a nation, as well as to defend itself and Britain. Additionally many posters called on men to protect their women and children at home, who were depicted praying and weeping while their husbands/sons went off to fight. (http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/australia/slides/p_0011.jpg)

(http://www.abc.net.au/cm/lb/5613946/data/australians-arise21-poster2c-circa-1916-data.jpg)

(http://hsc.csu.edu.au/modern_history/core_study/ww1/posters/daddy.gif)

The war was also depicted as a 'great game' or sporting adventure, and an opportunity to travel overseas which many men did not have at that time. Men desired to prove their masculinity through armed combat, and were attracted to the idea of an adventure with like-minded companions, food provided, good wages and shelter. There was little realisation of the realities and hardships of the war. (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Trumpetcallsa.jpg)

•Where did Australian Identity come from at the beginning of the war according to the source? Australia felt strong connections to their British origins (Union Jack flags in the posters). However there was also a sense of mateship and Australian identity, focusing on sporting enthusiasm and adventure. (many posters described the war as a game and featured athletes/spectators and the idea of teammates). (https://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_SCREEN/ARTV05616.JPG)

•War often promotes an initial growth in patriotic sentiment and social cohesion. Where is this evident in the source? Recruitment posters used the idea of a national patriotic identity to encourage enlistment, calling on a sense of duty and a sense of guilt to those who had not yet enlisted. •What is the “crimson thread of kinship” Australians felt – is this evident in the sources? Henry Parkes coined the term in a speech in 1890, describing the ties that bound the Australian colonies. In WWI this was used to encourage enlistment by reminding men of their duty and kinship with their fellow Australians. (http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/itemimages/416/265/416265_large.jpg)

What emotions do the sources play on?

What do the sources suggest about the idea of Men's Duty in Australia?

What about women's duties? Women were often used in posters to encourage men to enlist out of a sense of duty and protectiveness to the vulnerable and passive women depicted. Many sources show women waiting and praying with children, showing the way they were still expected to stay at home and support their men from the sidelines. Fighting was described as a 'man's job' - trying to make men want to prove their masculinity. Other posters encouraged women to take action in encouraging men they knew to enlist - again trying to establish fighting as a man's job and waiting at home as a womans.

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1. What was the expected role of women during The Great War?

Women in Australia were expected to do work that was deemed suitable for women. Acceptable work for most Australian women meant voluntary comforts work, recruitment drives and moral campaigns.

2. How was this different from England?

Women in England took over traditionally male jobs allowing for men to go and fight in the war.
3. Why are women’s roles considered a measure of their enthusiasm and patriotism – especially in founding the Red Cross? Why were all predominantly middle class?

Because women had to often create their own opportunities for work and this made them be viewed as being patriotic and enthusiastic towards helping during the times of war. Working class women’s concerns were with clothing and feeding their families and had less time for doing things such as knitting. Middle class women would often have a servant or maid to help them giving them more time for patriotic work.

4. Describe several women’s organizations roles and responses to WW1.

Red Cross: started 2 days after the war broke out. They made socks, mittens and mufflers for soldiers and for injured soldiers in hospitals they made things such as linen, pyjamas and shirts.

The Australian comforts fund: these women collected money to be able to send things such as tobacco, puddings, biscuits and other ‘luxury’ items to soldiers. They also sent thousands of socks overseas to the soliders. This organization was dissolved after the war but was revived for WW2.

5. What was the overarching result for women and their role in society during WW1.

Womens place was no more just in the home, but more within the public sphere and it was a change that set the trend for future womens rights movements.

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In 1914/15 all 9 teams competed in the VFL season. Due to loss of player to the front only 4 teams competed in 1916, this allowed fitzroy to come last and first in the season.

The divide in WW! can be understood by looking at the secular and class divisions between the clubs. There was considerable differences in how working class, predominantly Irish Catholic clubs, (Collingwood, richmond) viewed the war effort compared to the more affluent middle class clubs suc as Melbourne and Essendon who were almost exclusively Prodestant.

During the war there were many calls for normal entertainments such as competitive sport to be abandoned. This was mainly because it was felt that the continuation of sport distracted people’s attention from the serious business of the war -- and alsobecause competitive sport seemed to be a flaunting by eligible young men of the fact that they had not volunteered to fight. It was a sign of less than total commitment to the war. Amateur sports did tend to stop for the duration, but the semi-professional football competitions continued.

September 1914
Field Marshal Earl Roberts to a 1300-strong battalion of Fusileers: 'You are the pick of the nation … You are doing what all able-bodied men, whatever their rank, should do. How different your action is from that of the men who are continuing to play cricket and football, as if the very existence of their country was not at stake. This is not the time to play games. We are engaged in a life and death struggle.'

June 1915
The Daily News: 'the cancelling of racing would not help to increase the number of volunteers from the ranks of racing employees and nothing would be gained … Racing is a huge industry in this part of the world, and to abandon it would be folly … the continuance of racing (in England) has not had much effect on recruiting'​

Daily Telegraph: 'Whilst the total prohibition of sport would not be altogether desirable, a very considerable curtailment would be wise … no one who reads the cable messages containing news of the great struggle on the west front … can take any pleasure in sport … when so many are sacrificing their lives in the great struggle for freedom'​

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What attitudes did the public take towards spectator sports in WWI?

Why were they considered to be inappropriate?

What happened to spectator sports after 1916?

Did this create any divisions in society?

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How did the war effort move the temperance movement forward?

What was the argument against the consumption of alcohol on the homefront?

What events contributed to the desire to curb pub's serving hours until 6?

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Describe how issue of Conscription divided society and what parties supported each side.

Find some primary sources describing the clash between both sides

What were the arguments of those for/against Conscription?

What happened in both the Referendum of 1916 and 1917?

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Describe the conditions for Australian soldiers on the Western Front.

What major battles did Australian soldiers participate in?

What challenges did Australian soldiers face?

What reaction did the deepening cost of the war and frustrating defeats on the Western Front have on the homefront - ie what effect did this event have on Australians' responses to the war and what divisions were created in society?

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Nationalism - The Creation of the ANZAC legend at Gallipoli - Read National Identity

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Nationalism - The Creation of the ANZAC legend at Gallipoli - Read National Identity

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•Where did Australian Identity come from at the beginning of the war according to the source? •War often promotes an initial growth in patriotic sentiment and social cohesion. Where is this evident in the source? •What is the “crimson thread of kinship” Australians felt – is this evident in the sources?

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Enlistment Posters - Read Men's Duty and Enlistment

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Enlistment Posters - Read Men's Duty and Enlistment

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•What reasons were given for Australia’s involvement in the war? •Where did Australian Identity come from at the beginning of the war according to the source? •War often promotes an initial growth in patriotic sentiment and social cohesion. Where is this evident in the source? •What is the “crimson thread of kinship” Australians felt – is this evident in the sources?

What emotions do the sources play on?

What do the sources suggest about the idea of Men's Duty in Australia?

What about women's duties?

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•What was anglophilia?

•What
fears/desires were exacerbated behind this anti-German response?

•How
was generating an internal enemy an ideological tool for the government to sell
the war?

•How
did divisions in society after 1916 cause the enemy within to change?

•How
did the Great war redefine the White Australia policy?

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Describe some of the experiences of Indigenous people who enlisted during the war.

Find some primary sources revealing their role/responses to the war

Why were Indigenous Australians denied the right to enlist?

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•What
was the expected role of women during The Great War?

•How
was this different from England?

•Why
are women’s roles considered a measure of their enthusiasm and patriotism –
especially in founding the Red Cross? Why were all predominantly middle class?

•Describe
several women’s organizations roles and responses to WW1.

•What
was the overarching result for women and their role in society during WW1.