The Australian Society after the World War 1

The Australian Society
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Essay Topic 2
The Australian society is aware of the losses of its military in World War 1and the horrific aftermath that has cast a shadow over the nation's history. Within four years, Australia sustained over 215,000 casualties, 60,000 men and women dead, while more than 150,000 wounded. A population of fewer than 5 million people who survived lived with the psychological consequences of war for the next decades. The effect was so widespread as approximately every household and community was affected by the war in some form. Consequently, the bitterness and fallout from the war divided the nation along social, sectarian, and political lines.
A decision to commit Australia to the war was made in August 1914 to widespread public support. The country was a dominion of the British Empire and shared close ties for years before the war. Therefore, it is no surprise that London was willing to declare war on Germany on behalf of Australia. Back home, over 50,000 Australians had enlisted to fight the war by the end of the year. This decision was motivated by pragmatism, peer pressure, idealism, and a sense of loyalty to the imperial government.
The rising cost of war is a result of the war, which affects the country's economy, and in Australia's case, it was no different. By mid-1915, the economy started to suffer inflation, and the wages failed to keep up with the rapid rise in the cost of living. Consequently, the Australian citizens started being polarized on the issue of conscription. As a result, the federal government needed to start offering benefits to convince communities to risk injury and families' breadwi...