Activity 1: Why Australian enlisted in War? Read through and copy the text in blue.

When war broke out in Europe in August 1914, most major decisions about Australia’s foreign policy were still made by leaders in Britain. So, when the British Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, Australia also committed to war.

Three days before Britain’s declaration of war, the Australian Prime Minister, Joseph Cook, made a speech in which he had already promised Australian support to Britain if a war broke out. In a speech in Victoria, he said:

'Whatever happens, Australia is part of the Empire right to the full. Remember that when the Empire is at war, so is Australia at war. That being so, you will see how grave is the situation. So far as the defences go here and now in Australia, I want to make it quite clear that all our resources in Australia are in the Empire and for the Empire and for the preservation and security of the Empire.'

Joseph Cook, speech given in Victoria on 1 August 1914

The day before, the Australian opposition leader, Andrew Fisher, had already promised the ‘last man and the last shilling’ to Britain in the event of war.

When war did break out in August 1914, the Australian government placed the navy under the command of Britain and announced a plan to build an Australian Expeditionary Force (AIF) to send overseas. The government’s promise to Britain was an AIF of 20,000 men. As the war continued for four years, more Australian men were required to fill the ranks of the growing AIF and the government was forced to actively seek more recruits as enlistment numbers fell.

The total population in Australia in August 1914 was about 4.9 million people. Over the next four years 416,809 Australian men enlisted for service in the First World War. That was about 39% of the total male population who were allowed to enlist, men between the ages of 18 and 44. (Australian War Memorial: Enlistment Statistics, First World War)

Below is a collection of reasons given for soldier enlistment. Copy these down under the heading reasons for enlistment.