Where the Anzacs fighting for Australia or something else
Were the Anzacs fighting for Australia or the Empire - or something else? The complexities of life during the early half of the 19th century were exemplified in August of 1914. The Great War offered Australians their first chance at forging a national identity, not only for ourselves but also in the eyes of the rest of the world. In the space of eight months Australia's nationhood changed irrevocably as Ross Terrill states, "At Gallipoli quirks of timing and circumstance, plus wonderful courage and loyalty, gave the young nation an event to turn into legend" . This idea of a young nation seeking identity was one of the main reasons for the bravery and courage witnessed on the blood stained, sandy slopes of Gallipoli. The great test in which we needed to prove our worth was upon us, and from that Cove a nation was born. The early Australian newspaper, 'The Argus', described it as our "Baptism of Blood" . As Terrill quotes, "The Anzac legend joined the bush legend. Both were soon infused with nostalgia for a failed or abandoned cause" . Australia's need to forge an identity, independent from Britain, is one of the main reasons for Australia's volunteer civilian involvement in World War One.
Bean, an official war correspondent, who concluded, "the wild pastoral independent life of Australia, if it makes rather wild men, makes superb soldiers" . Australian political circles supported the war effort but their motives revolved around the traditional ideology of supporting the mother country. An AIF sergeant remarked, "The Australian is not a soldier, but he is a fighter, a born fighter. There was considerable opposition among the one-third of Australians of Irish descent . No longer were our men integrated into the British regiments. As one great Australian, Banjo Patterson, remarked after Gallipoli "We're all Australians now" . I argue that this fighting spirit was born of the fact that his best mate was standing next to him and his loyalty was to him and to the other men in his Battalion. For Stirling, and a great many other young men from respectable middle class families who "saw no real dissonance between public and private life. The term ANZAC, as Macintyre quotes "Signifies a civilian soldier with the distinct qualities of the settler societies from which he sprang, resourceful and willing" . Australian soldiers, once in battle, saw mateship and loyalty to each other as imperative to their success.
Common topics in this essay:
CEW Bean,
Australia Stirling,
Terrill Gallipoli,
Australia Empire,
ANZAC Macintyre,
Australia's Imperial,
Blood Terrill,
Australia Argus,
Battalion Bean,
We're Australians,
australia empire,
baptism blood,
middle class families,
natural ability,
august 1914,
1914 war,
fighting spirit,
australian soldiers,
middle class,
bravery courage,
main reasons,
august 1914 war,
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Acceptance Essays
