Impact of the wars on Australia

How the war far away reshaped life on the Homefront.

https://coggle.it/diagram/YJfCg6MENMC3T078/t/how-did-do-governments-control-their-a-crisis-emergency
Syllabus Content:
Outline the Australian governments' control on the home front for each of the following:

Conscription [4]
Use of government propaganda [1-4]
Changing roles of women [3]
Enemy 'aliens' [2]
Wartime controls/censorship [1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTG0NjrdFRc (Backup video)

RPReplay_Final1620217089.mov

Feeling the Impacts of war from afar.

"Turn your eyes to the European situation, and give the kindest feelings towards the Mother Country at this time...help her and defend her, to our last man and our last shilling..."

PM Andrew Fisher (ALP) July 31, 1914 Colac, Victoria.

Being many thousands of kilometres away from the major conflicts shielded Australia from the most devastating effects of war. However, during the period of the war, Australian society experienced hardships of its own, as the national economy took a significant hit & the Commonwealth government increased its controls over the daily lives of its citizens.

The start of war in August 1914 seemed to of generated great enthusiasm in Australia to support Britain by participating in the War in Europe. All major political parties, as well as community leaders and newspapers seemed to put their support towards this cause. Photos of thousands of young & healthy men rushing to recruitment offices, volunteering for the cause. Women stepped forward to help the war effort and signed up to be nurses and Red Cross Volunteers in their thousands. The whole country seemed enthusiastic & united in their support of Australia's participation in the War. But the early enthusiasm was not sustained. As people realised the grim and costly realities of war, and felt increasingly tired on government controlling daily life, public support for the war declined.

In the next dot point, we will see how controlling, controversial and divisive some of the decisions the Commonwealth Government made for its citizen on the home front. This includes the introduction of laws that threatened people's democratic rights, censorship which suppressed anti-war voices, propaganda that controlled public discourse and thought, and racist rhetoric against German Australians ('enemy aliens').

We will also learn more about the significant contribution of women during this period to support the war effort.

Wartime Controls & Censorship

Australia may not be at war right now, but we only have to look at the news over the last year to see how governments here and around the world have used a global emergency to pass legislation to increase its power over society...some to our benefit, others seemingly less so.

Warm Up Question: Can you think of any laws or legislation the Commonwealth (Federal) and/or State Governments have implemented during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic?

The War Precautions Act 1914

Enemy Aliens-

Many men, women and children interned in the camps were classed as 'enemy aliens'. This term meant they had ancestral or citizen links to countries at war with Australia. About 7000 people were imprisoned by 1918, including 4500 'enemy aliens'. Most of the internees were Germans.

Reading Article: https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/schools/resources/anzac-diversity/european-anzacs/enemy-aliens

Activity 1: Thinking Routine I think, I see, I wonder (In light of the formal discussion). We will share our thoughts together afterwards.

Activity 2

Read Textbook 3a.7.2 (p.225-8) &:

choice 1: answer the questions.

Demography (How many German Australians?)
What counted as being a German Enemy Alien?
What were German Enemy Aliens accused of?
What things were imposed (forced) onto them?
What were they forbidden to do?
How was German Culture suppressed?
What was life like for Germans in Internment Camps?

Changing Role of Women (from WWI to WWII

Task 1: Copy Notes below

There were few active roles open to Australian women during World War I. The major war role for Australian women was nursing, both overseas and in Australia. See the Nurses section of this guide for more information.

Women in Australia helped the war effort through charitable work such as fund-raising, knitting or sending food to the troops. Some Australian women travelled overseas to work as ambulance drivers and chauffeurs.

Task 2: Imagine you are an army recruiter. Your task is to develop a presentation that you would expect to show in various cities to encourage women to enlist in WWII.

Start your presentation in at least 3 slides, explaining what roles women were able to be involved in WW1.

You will then show 5-6 Sides explaining with pictures and evidence, the types of the roles available to women in WWII.

Your final slide, must be a paragraph summarising the important contribution Australian women will play in WW1

*Remember: You must present the information persuasively as your job is to not only inform, but persuade women to recruit in the armed forces and auxillary services during WWII

The Conscription Debate

At the outbreak of the First World War, the number of people volunteering to enlist for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was so high that recruitment officers were forced to turn people away. As the war went on, casualty rates increased and the number of volunteers declined. By 1916 the AIF faced a shortage of men.

Legislation prohibited members of the Australian Military Forces from serving beyond the limits of the Commonwealth or its territories “unless they voluntarily agree[d] to do so” (Defence Act 1903, s. 49), which meant the government could not compel Australian citizens to serve overseas.

Task 3: Look at the graph below that charts enlistments figures.

a) Account for the sharp rise in July 1915.

b) Provide at least 3 reasons why might the numbers have waned by 1917?

Task 3: Listening Skills and Class Game

Jot and Dot activity. As you watch the Video, you will be required to write down at least 10-15 key points.

Task 4: You have been tasked to be a public face for the anti- conscription/ or pro conscription debate. Research 3-4 main reason to support your view and write a speech you would deliver to persuade someone to your point of view.

You should aim for about 3/4 page

Task 5: Source analysis: OMCAPRU

'How do these sources help us understand the techniques used to persuade people during the conscription debate.

Copy of Analysisng Conscription.docx

WWI: recruitment, conscription, propaganda

WWI: recruitment, conscription, propagandaStudents work closely with graphic materials and newspaper articles from WWI, analysing what recruitment and conscription paraphernalia and news reports reveal about the values and attitudes of people at that time.

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