4305unit 4 Aos 1 Summary Sheet.docx

Unit 4 AOS 1 Summary Sheet – Testing the New Nation – WWI Key Questions: How did Australian society react and perform during the crisis of World War One? How did the War generally and debates such as conscription affect social cohesion? What were the outcomes for Australia as a society and Australians from World War One?

Key things to note:     

Australian society was not a cohesive one before the war, and the war served to in many cases exacerbate such tensions. Noting is absolute, (be careful of using quantative terms such as: ‘all’ or ‘none.’ Use many, most of, the majority of, few of etc. instead.) There was a shift in society during the War. Australians did not necessarily object to the war, but the compulsory enlistment of soldiers to fight. Use quote from Ernest Scott: “the War touched every phase of Australian life” in opening paragraph.

Class:   

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During WWI, the class differences increased and solidified. This was mainly due to the divisive issue of conscription, which polarised the classes. Conscription would certainly affect the different classes differently, and often unequally: “Socialists, radicals and feminists challenged the supposed equality of sacrifice embodied in Military conscription.” (Macintyre.) Economically, the cost of living rose dramatically during WWI, placing increasing pressure on the poorer classes. According to D.P. Copland, during the 5 years of war: -wholesale prices increased by 68%. -retail prices by 47.5% -the overall cost of living 30.1% This placed enormous pressure working class families who were already struggling to get by. This led the poorer classes (in particular working class women) to vote against conscription as it would impact upon them more than others.

Women:  

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WWI was an important time in Australian Women’s history. There were two points of conflict for women during the War. Firstly: (comforts: working v. richer class.) WWI was a somewhat frustrating period for women, as they were confined to “women’s work.” Only 4,000 women were involved in the war as nurses. “Women’s…war effort was channelled into voluntary activities, and their greatest service was to provide and sustain fighting men.” (Macinytre.) Associations such as the Australian Branch of the British Red Cross Society (est. 6th Aug 1914) and the Australian Comforts Fund raised money, clothes and other ‘comforts’ for the men.

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The richer women, who had more leisure time than the poorer, argued that the working classes were not pulling their weight. They pointed to statistics such as only 2/25 of the Red Cross branches in Sydney being from “identifiably working class suburbs.” (Macintyre.) This led to conflict, between women, based on class differences. Secondly: (conscription: pro and anti.) WWI saw: “an unprecedented involvement in public forms of political activity.” (Scates and Frances) and women were given an “acceptable reason to break with tradition.” (Ibid.) Women campaigned for both causes, again often depending on their wealth. The campaigns were bitter and employed a number of emotive slogans, poems and cartoons to convey their messages. E.g. ‘the Blood Vote’ – “I sentenced a man to death in that awful little room” and “Whose son are you?” Adela Pankhurst was a key leader of the anti campaign. War undoubtedly led to decreased social cohesion among women, but a stronger ‘banding together’ among like-minded women, often against others.

Political/Labour Movement: 

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The Australian Labor Party led by Andrew Fisher and Billy Hughes, was a key part of Australian society, as it was the Government which led Australia through the majority of the War, withstanding the destructive war and divisive conscription debates. Initially, the Labor Movement was highly motivated in support of the war, with Prime Minister Andrew Fisher reiterating on three separate occasions that Australia will “stand by their own and defend her [Britain] to the last man and last shilling.” Hughes, who overtook the Prime Minister’s office on October 27th 1915, apparently continued this mantra, and polarised himself from the Labor Movement by declaring his support for conscription and announcing a plebiscite on the issue to be held on August 30th 1916. This was in the light of dropping enlistment rates – from 36,575 in July 1915 to 9,914 in October of that year. This and the demands from the British War Office for more men (32,500 in September 1916 and 16,500 from each month thereon) were the catalysts for the Conscription debate. Hughes was expelled from the ALP on November 14th 1916 and formed his own Nationalist Party. This marks the fracturing of the Australian Labor movement, as it was: “engulfed in traumatic upheaval during the Great War.” (McMullen.) Strikes were a continual head-ache for the Hughes Government, which included the Great Strikes of August 1917 where the 14% of NSW total workforce were on strike – the biggest in Australian history. This further exemplifies that Australian society, in particular the Labour Party and Movement were not cohesive during the war.

Religion:   

Australia, was a fairly religious nation. The protestant-catholic divide had been evident in Australia for many years. The war exacerbated it however, for three main reasons: -firstly because Australia was supporting England, who had traditionally had a sour relationship with the Catholics (although not all)

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-secondly, the class divide fed into religious divisions, as Catholics were predominately working class. -finally because the conscription debate, and the sometimes outspoken views of Daniel Mannix that “conscription is a hateful thing and certain to bring evil in its train” infuriated pro-conscriptionists. The old world religious tensions which existed in Australia were highlighted by the war.

Identity/Anzac Legend:  

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What may be seen as a unifying force in an otherwise divided society, was the Anzac Legend. The Anzac Legend was a deep pride many Australians felt with ‘our boys’ over in the battlefields –particularly at Gallipoli. It was part of Australia’s need for a Legend, to carve out an identity, particularly a military achievement, on a world stage, one all Australians could be proud of. It was fostered by the words of C.E.W. Bean and the British Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett. According to Bean, Gallipoli was the affirmation of national worth” and led to the “discovery of Australian men.” It revealed the Australian character to the world. In the highly illustrative and complimentary words of Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, “the Australians rose to the occasion…” and this “race of athletes…has made a name which will never die.” The words of Ashmead-Bartlett were important as he himself was an Englishmen and was writing for British newspapers as well as Australian.

Overall: “Although remote from the theatres of war, Australia was not remote from its effects.” (McKernan.) Reiterate points accordingly.