The Cruel Crises of Conscription In Australia - By Georgie
7th November 1970.
It’s 10.00om Wednesday morning and I’ve opened the letterbox. There it was, “The Letter”, from “Selective Service”. My heart sank as I opened the yellow tinged envelope. What would happen to my family, my wife, my sweet, beautiful daughters?
This is what could have happened to any eligible Australian male, twenty years and over. It was called conscription. Conscription is when a selective group of citizens are forcefully obliged to fight in war due to shortages of soldiers. Conscription was first introduced in Australia in 1942 during World War Two, but discontinued after the Second World War. Conscription was introduced again, in 1966, during the Vietnam War however
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it stopped for the last time in 1972 as one of the biggest turning point in Australia's history. Conscription During the First World War In 1914, as the First World War started there were lots of volunteers to fight. There were so many, the government had to reject some of the volunteers. But as the war continued, the number of volunteers to fight in the war decreased and there were not enough men to fight. In 1911, 350,000 boys age 10-17 were registered for compulsory military training untill 1915. Soon after, Prime Minister Billy Hughes asked the Australian people to grant the government the power to compel citizens to serve overseas during the First World War.
The debate was held on the 28th of October 1916 and the proposal was narrowly defeated. A short time later the enlistment to the war continued to fall and in 1917, Billy Hughes called for another referendum on the conscription issue. The debate was very heated like the first and on the 20 December 1917 Australia voted “no” to conscription but this time by a slightly larger majority. In 1918, World War One finally finished and Australia started to rebuild its economy once …show more content…
again. . Conscription in World War Two In 1941 as World War Two progressed, Australia elected Curtin to be Prime Minister. During World War One he was against conscription and argued aggressively on the topic and was jailed for a short time due to it. Soon after the break out of World War Two, all unmarried men aged 21 and over were required to have three months of military training.
The Japanese military were traveling closer to Australia and Britain could not provide the defence force needed. Curtin suggested conscription be proposed again for 18 - 35 year old men. In 1942 Australia introduced Conscription. All eligible men, twenty years and over were put into a lottery (based on birthdate) to determine whether or not they would go and fight in the war. The enlisted soldiers would have to fight, full time, for two years and then spend three years on the active reserve list. In November 1942 Curtin asked the labor party to approve his plan to extend the territory which conscripts could be sent to fight to include the South-West pacific.
On the 19 February 1943 Australia allowed its military forces to be sent to fight in the South-West pacific except for the Philippines, West Java and Northern Borneo. In !943 the Defence Act of 1943 was passed and now all soldiers were able to serve in all areas south of the equator in Southeast Asia. In 1945 compulsory military service discontinued as World War Two
ended. As a gesture of appreciation many of the returning soldiers were offered land in rural communities to establish farms. Men returning from war faced many difficulties including depression often leading to drinking and trouble settling back into their old life. The Vietnam War 24 years after conscription was first introduced, in 1942, parliament passed a motion ,in 1964, to reintroduce conscription in Australia. After a period of training the conscripts were sent to fight the Viet Cong in Vietnam. Many Australians were starting turning against conscription and in May 1965 National service men could be ordered to serve overseas. In March 1966 the Australian government announced that National Service men would be sent over to Vietnam to fight in the regular army. The Australian public disapproved of the war and sending their troops to fight so there were many ongoing protests. The most significant protests were organized by the National Union of Australia University Students (NUAUS) in 1966 and 1967. In order to avoid serving overseas conscripts could elect to only serve in Australia as part of the defence force. To avoid un-popularity of conscription 20 year old conscripts eligible to fight were not allowed to vote. In 1969 a poll was held in August to see what the public thought about conscription, 55% wanted to bring the rest of the troops home and 40% favoured them staying. In 1971 the full time service requirement was reduced to 18 months. In late December 1972 conscription ended as one of the first acts of newly elected Whitlam and one of the greatest turning points in history soon after in June 1973 Australia's commitment to war ended to. Forced conscription ended 1972 for all Australians, ending the years of forcing men to fight in war against their will, many of whom were unable to cope with the traumatic experiences they faced and the overwhelming memories some carry their whole lives. In 2018, Australians have the decision to join the army, and the choice to fight in war. If conscription did not end when it did many more innocent lives could of been lost and Australia would not be the civilized nation it is today.
3 September 1939 when Australia joined the war playing a significant role in World War 2, winning a lot of their campaigns. Almost million Australians, both men and women helped win WW2 all over the world. The war started for Australia when Great Britain declared war on Germany. This lead to Australia fighting in Germany and Italy in Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa, Japan in south-east Asia and other parts of the Pacific. Australia was involved in one of the most important battles in WWII, Kokoda track campaign in 1942. There are several reasons why this battle was so significant. Firstly, Kokoda track campaign stopped the invasion of Australia. Secondly, the Kokoda track campaign lead to the victory of WWII with the defeat of Japan. Lastly, the conditions that all the troops at the Kokoda campaign had to go through was atrocious and against the ally troop’s odds. This battle leads to the development of the nation. This is why Kokoda was the most important battle fought by the Australian’s in WWII.
When war broke out in 1914, the Australian Government raised the first Australian Imperial Force for overseas service. The nurses to staff the medical units, which formed an integral part of the AIF, were recruited from the Australian Army Nursing Service Reserve and from the civil nursing profession.
Nevertheless, upon return to civilian life, many found they were treated with the same or harsher prejudice and discrimination as before. Fighting in another country in a war that does not affect them and completely against their culture and moral beliefs. It seems that the effects and the Aboriginal contribution of WW1 had a negative effect when they came back home and this was still evident at the start of WW2. When the war began in 1914, many Indigenous Australians tried to enlist but were rejected on the fact of their colour and race, but some simply snuck through. By October 1917, when recruits were rare and one conscription referendum had already failed, restrictions were eased back. A new Military Order stated: "Half-castes may be enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force provided that the examining Medical Officers are satisfied that one of the parents is of European origin." (Peter Londey, 2013). The repression of Indigenous Australians increased between the wars and protection acts gave government officials greater authority over Indigenous Australians. Australian Aboriginals had a positive contribution in World War One but this in turn had a negative effect on their culture and the way they were
World War 1 began in 1914, and because Great Britain was involved, Canada found itself pulled into the war as well. At the beginning of the war, Borden promised never to force men to fight. However, by 1916 the Allies found their situation had taken a turn for the worse, and were in desperate need of new soldiers. Canada’s Prime Minister, Robert Borden, was an imperialist. He desperately wanted Canada to be seen as an equal by Great Britain, and believed that providing large numbers of Canadian troops may accomplish this. However, as word of trench conditions and number of casualties reached home, fewer and fewer men were volunteering to be sent overseas, knowing that they would likely never return home. By 1917, Borden had only one unused
Aboriginal soldiers returned to their country where they had no citizenship rights, controlled by the government policies which prevented them from living in towns, socialising with other Australians and voting. This is evident in phrases such as, “He returned to the outback, no mates did he find. If he had a beer he was jailed and then fined,” and, “Confused and alone he wandered around, Looking for work though none could be found. The Anzac marches he badly neglected, Would show to his comrades how he was rejected.” This informs the reader about how the Aboriginal soldiers did not receive the same benefits as the European soldiers did, even though they made the same sacrifices during the
During the World War II era, the outlook on the role of women in Australian society revolutionised. As a majority of men were at war, Australian women were encouraged to rise above and beyond their stereotypical ‘housewife’ status. They were required to take on the tasks that were once considered predominantly male roles, and also allowed the opportunity to join the armed services as well as enlist in the Women’s Land Army. Many women who doubted their abilities played their part by entering voluntary work. Women had the privilege of contributing in Australian society in many ways that they had never been able before. Thus, it is manifest that the role of women in Australian society had drastically changed.
In 1914, Australia joined the First World War. Although it was seen as a European war, the Australia government decided that Australia should support its 'Mother Country', Britain. The prime-minister at the time, Joseph Cook, stated Australia's position : "Whatever happens, Australia is a part of the Empire, right to the full. When the Empire is at war, Australia is at war." Many Australians objected to the country's involvement in the war, but the majority of the population agreed with the government's decision. Australia joined the war for many reasons, but two main reasons were :
During the First World War, Canada suffered a great conscription crisis that divided the nation. The French-Canadian nationalists, led by Henri Bourassa, opposed conscription and felt that they were fighting an English war, and therefore felt no obligation to fight. The vast majority of those who enlisted during the age of voluntary recruitment were Anglophones; in contrast, very few Francophones volunteered to fight. On 17 May 1917, Prime Minister Robert Borden announced that military service was to become compulsory among men of fighting age of all classes. French-Canadians protested; however, despite their best efforts, the Military Service Bill came into effect. The protest eventually led to lengthy riots. Following this, Canada became
Tim O’Brien finds himself staring at his draft notice on June 17, 1968. He was confused and flustered. O’Brien does not know how or why he got selected for the draft. All he knew was that he was above the war itself, “A million things all at once—I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, to everything. It couldn’t happen” (41). He was also demented on the fact that he, a war hater, was being drafted. He felt if anyone were to be drafted it should be the people who supported the war. “If you support a war, if you think it’s worth the price, that’s fine, but you have to put your own precious fluids on the line” (42). His draft notice was when he first carried his thought of embarrassment. He instantly thought if he does not support the war he should not have to go to war. The only way not to go to war was to flee the country so the draft council could not find him. He had a moral split. “I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile” (44). This quote is so true in young adults, not only then, but also now. Peer pressure, the thought of being embarrassed if we do not do something, pushes many young adults to do things they do not want to such as pushing Tim O’Brien to enter the draft. The thought of being judged ...
On July 1, 1973, Congress chose to end the draft in favor of an All Volunteer Army. According to "The Professional Bulletin of Army History, No. 27," the last man was drafted in December 1972 and reported for training in June 1973. Now, not only might the renewed military draft come back but also the age of compulsory service in the meat grinder might be extended from its former limit of 26 years up to 42 years of age.
In World War 1 (WW1), 1914-1918, Australian troops became involved in order to give support to the "Mother Country". Great Britain only became involved after Germany did not respect the neutrality of Belgium. In the first world war, Australian soldiers participated in some of the bloodiest and most enduring battles known to man, and soon developed a courageous name for themselves. Of the 330 000 Aussie soldiers who took part in WW1, there were 211 500 casualties and over 60 000 deaths, a casualty rate much higher than that of several other participants.
During the majority of the war, men were guided into civilian and military positions through a policy that the Selective Service Director Lewis B. Hershey called "channeling." The draft system used induction as a threat to "channel" people into more desirable pursuits that were in the interests of the nation. For instance, an engineer earned a deferment from the war because he was needed at home while a person who did not have a deferment could be inducted into the army. For every solider in combat, there were many other positions that needed to be filled...
Over forty years has passed since the United States inducted the last draftee through the Selective Service System. The Selective Service System is an independent agency of the United States, which gives the President the right or power to conscript men for military service. There have been different Acts passed by congress since 1917 that require men of various ages to register for service. Although, the name of each Act and the age requirements of the registries changed, the Acts were all similar in nature. They all gave the President the right to call men to war when he deemed necessary. In January 1973, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announced the creation of the all-volunteer service, retracting the need for the draft (GAO.gov). Under current law, all men between the ages of 18-25 must register within 30 days of their 18th birthday, however this information is used mostly for recruitment purposes and in case of any future crisis. There has been much controversy over this matter since the Vietnam War, when people started to realize the draft was unfair due to loopholes and draft exemptions making the draft unfair for working men. At one point in time the military draft may have been necessary, but today’s all-volunteer military has eliminated the need for a draft.
Lincoln also abused his power with the draft. Prior to the draft, the Union depended on the states to fill assigned quotas with volunteers. But then Lincoln instituted a new draft. By its terms, all men between the ages of 20 and 45 were liable to military service. However, any man who was called for the draft could avoid it by hiring a substitute or paying $300 dollars to the government. Many groups rightfully denounced these acts, called the conscription acts, as a rich man's law. Indeed, many wealthy men were able to bribe poorer men into taking their place in
A soldier, conscripted or not, will face many stresses during their career. Serving for any amount of time is a trial, but some are more suited to the military than others. A drafted soldier may go through their entire mandatory term feeling miserable and insufficient, completely overwhelmed by the tasks that military professionals easily complete. These pressures and the denial of a choice of career should not be placed on any person. The idea of a two-year term of mandatory military service being implanted has been brought up. Military service should not be mandatory not only because it violates fundamental individual rights of humans, but also due to the fact that a military based on volunteers would operate much more impressively than one comprised of conscripted soldiers who would not have chosen to serve otherwise.