The Australian Home-front in World War II essays

The Australian Home-front in World War II essays How and why did the federal Government introduce conscription and censorship on the Australian Home front? What was the role of women on the home front? Soon after the war broke out in Europe, the Australian government decided to introduce conscription for the defence of Australia and her territories. This meant there would be military conscription as well as industrial conscription. Rationing was introduced along with censorship and the National Security Act of 1939, which meant that all Germans, Italians and Japanese were interned. During the war, women played an important role in the defence forces, the Womens Land Army, in the workforce and with volunteer work. As a result of the more serious situation facing Australia in World War II, conscription was introduced with virtually no opposition. This was because the situation was far more serious than in 1916 because for most of the first two years of the war Britain was fighting Hitler alone and possibility of defeat was great. The fall of Singapore and the advance of the Japanese forces through South-East Asia placed Australia under direct threat> Australia was attack by Japanese forces from Broome to Townsville to Sydney and the Japanese nearly captured Port Moresby in New Guinea, which would have made possible an invasion of Australia. When the war broke out in 1939 the Australian army had only 3000 men and a militia, part time soldiers, of 80, 000 men. Conscription was introduced in October 1939. All men aged 20 years had to do three months of training in the militia. Conscription rules were continuously changed. In June 1940 all unmarried men under 21 were conscripted and by 1942 all m arried men without children and all single men between 18 and 35 were conscripted. This was because the situation in north of Australia was growing worse and the government needed more militia to send to New Guinea for the defence of Australia. It could be argued that from th...