The Conscription Conflict and the Great War

 

Editors: Robin Archer, Joy Damousi, Murray Gout and Sean Scalmer

Citation: Archer, Robin (ed.), et al. The Conscription Conflict, Australia : Monash University Publishing, 2017
Monash University Publishing
Summary:  At the outbreak of the First World War, patriotic fervour was highly prevalent in Australia. Young men enthusiastically enlisted in droves out of a desire to serve their country. Others, such as conscientious objectors, refused to do so. Amidst this, the Australian government under Prime Minister William Morris Hughes made at least two attempts to pass conscription into law via referendums. Both of these attempts would end in failure. But how did this come to pass? Through nine chapters of essays (divided into four parts) that have been edited by four academics, "The Conscription Conflict and the Great War" elaborates on this. Specifically, it elaborates on how the anti-conscription movement arose in the first place, how it gradually cohered into a powerful group and how it was able to gain the momentum to succeed. It also draws comparisons with other nations where conscription was a factor. Overall, this is a book that sheds light on an aspect of Australian history that people in contemporary society may not be fully aware of.

Time Period(s): World War I

External Links:

Publisher's page
http://www.publishing.monash.edu/books/ccgw-9781925377224.html

Goodreads page
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30619301-the-conscription-conflict-and-the-great-war

On the home front : Melbourne in wartime, 1939-1945

 

Author: Kate Darian- Smith

Citation: Darian-Smith, Kate. On the home front : Melbourne in wartime, 1939-1945, Australia : Melbourne University Press, 2009.
Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Press
Summary:  Melbourne during the Second World War was a city that underwent dramatic changes. This book by Kate Darian-Smith, who is a professor of Australian studies and history at the University of Melbourne, chronicles its transformation. It was a time when the people of the city were bracing for an invasion by the Japanese and the government was preparing for that accordingly (through fortifications such as trenches for instance). It was a time that would see the formation of a Security Service, paving the way for ASIO to be established in Melbourne after the war had concluded. Moreover, it was a time when Melbournian citizens were coming to grips with evolving sensibilities, the prospect of gambling and the rowdiness that only thousands of off-duty American soldiers could bring.  This all culminates in a work that the publisher Penguin Books refers to as a "classic and evocative study of Melbourne in wartime."

Time Period(s): World War II

External Links:

Publisher's page
https://www.mup.com.au/books/9780522856835-on-the-home-front

Goodreads page
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3255011-on-the-home-front