ABSTRACT
When Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914, Australia was also at war. By the end of the year, 50,000 Australians had joined up. This chapter follows the torrid years of World War One (1914–1918). What was the Gallipoli landing (1915) and the ANZAC legend which celebrated the exploits of the Australian soldiers? Fierce fighting occurred on the battlefields of France and Belgium. Back home, intense debates questioned whether soldiers should be conscripted to fight overseas. In two bitter referenda, conscription was rejected. By 1918, when the war ended, 60,000 Australians had died, 150,000 were wounded and thousands more psychologically scarred. Returning soldiers (but not most Aboriginal diggers) were offered ‘soldier settlement’ blocks, often taken from Aboriginal reserves. Cities and towns erected war memorials. This chapter also looks at post-World War One visions. Economic rejuvenation was underpinned by the ‘Men, Money and Markets’ policy and a cosy reliance on trade with Britain and the British Empire, which went largely unchallenged until the shock of the terrible Depression of the 1930s.
