AUSTRALIANS At War
Part I: Source Analysis
Australia and The Second World War #AnzacAtHome2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLzKTd-b270
This documentary demonstrates the different experiences that Australia underwent during the second world war that arose in 1939. A country that was known for its vast resources and a mighty giant came to a standstill as the war. An announcement made by Sir Robert Menzies, the then Australian Prime Minister, was a major setback to the country because the country had not reorganized itself well after the impacts of WWI.
Undeniably, the experiences often leave many countries in a devastated manner as witnessed in Australia, when the war finally came to an end. the number of deaths that the country realized in the end was unimaginable since millions of lives was lost during the war. It was a time of constant movement as many people tried to escape from the dangerous impacts of the war.
Therefore, this documentary is a major reflection of the experiences that Australia went through which makes it an important source that informs this topic.
Walton, A. (2015). Australia in the Great War, Australian War Memorial, Canberra. Australian Historical Studies, 46(2), 304-307. https://doi.org/10.1080/1031461X.2015.1044157
In this article, Wilton demonstrates an understanding of the experiences of world war II, based on what h finds in the country’s museums and its national memorials. Within these areas, the countries experience had been well structured to capture all the public memories that held a significant cultural identity and history of the Australian community. The exhibitions that Wilton comes across within the museums are extensive and wide-ranging, which were all a memorial collection.
The extensiveness collection would persuade any reader of this article that Australia as a country had gone through hard times during WWI. From the display of the museums, there are sculptures of dead people and destroyed properties that originated from constant fires.
Considering the wider picture that the author demonstrates from the collections that he finds in the museum and national memorial, this article plays a crucial role in informing this essay, which aims to show how Australia was impacted during WWI.
Part II: Impact on Australia
Integration of the above two sources is an indication that Australia went through a lot of experiences as the American soldiers tried to defend and protect the entire region from the fearless Britain soldiers. However, owing to the few numbers of soldiers that the country had during the times, they could not manage to fight the British successfully. The most affected group of people during the wars were the Australian soldiers. The second world war is a major indication of how the soldiers sacrificed their lives to fight for the country as depicted in the museum exhibitions (Walton, 2015). Even though most of them and other civilians were killed during the war, some managed to find their way back home. However, the war had a great impact on those who returned from war. For instance, most of them were paralyzed and suffered from mental disorders that could not allow them to perform any other duty. This was an indication that such soldiers and civilians would never perform any other duty.
The end of the second world war was a changing moment that the Australian government decided to make peace with other countries following the numerous effects that the two consecutive wars had within its territory. Therefore, fearing that the occurrence of such wars in the future would destroy the country, it was important to sign peace treaties that that would help build stronger relationships with other countries. As a result, Australia has had adequate time to rebuild its economy and take care of the fallen soldiers and civilians.
The people’s agenda after the wars, especially WWII was to develop their nation again by ensuring that every aspect of the war was first settled. However, the development processes were not an easy thing to go by as the war had caused a lot of division in the country. Therefore, bringing the people together to develop the nation again was very difficult. This means the development processes had to begin by bringing the people together, which the government managed to do successfully.
The development of the AZNAC spirit was another major impact of WWI and II that greatly contributed towards building the Australian story. The term AZNAC was used to represent both men and women who matched from one place to another demanding their freedom (Australia and The Second World War, n.d.). The creation of the AZNAC spirit granted the people some courage that enabled them the men and women to fight more fiercely in the second world war. Even though the campaigners of the AZNAC spirit no longer survive, it is important to note that the rituals and services that resulted from the spirit are felt to date in the country. In some cases, such services have greatly been expanded.
Lastly, in 1942, as the second world war continued the Australian government created conscription, which every military had to be part of as a way to enhance their unity during war times. As a result, the soldiers managed to fight more easily in the remaining part of the war and eventually managed to drive their enemies away.
References
Australia and The Second World War #AnzacAtHome2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLzKTd-b270
Walton, A. (2015). Australia in the Great War, Australian War Memorial, Canberra. Australian Historical Studies, 46(2), 304-307. https://doi.org/10.1080/1031461X.2015.1044157
