Impacts of WW1 Flashcards
What were woman’s lives like during WW1?
Around 3000 Australian women joined the Nursery service, they were not allowed to work in any armed forced and worked under extreme conditions.
Opportunities in the workforce arose as men left many women entered the paid workforce for the first time.
Others helped out with recruiting campaigns, fund raising and charity for the war and soldiers.
How did WW1 impact Australia’s economy?
Agriculture and manufacturing was the most prosperous as exports increased as ships were replaced with steam ships.
Postal industry was centre of economy.
The minimum wage for Aussies were about 8 shillings ($43).
The living wage for a family of 4 was about 48 shillings ($232).
Soldiers minimum wage was 6 shillings.
What was the impacts of WW1 on Australian Society?
The war precautions act took away freedom of speech, association, and freedom of the press was restricted. It gave power to the Commonwealth government.
The government due to the war took over many aspects of peoples lives as it became a crime to say anything that would discourage people from enlisting or showing disloyalty.
What did Germany lose to the treaty of Versailles?
Germany had to pay reparations to France, Belgium and Britain.
Pay Reparations to France, Belgium and Britain and accept the blame of the war.
Lost all its overseas colonies.
Army was limited to 100,000 men and was no longer allowed to join with Austria.
No armoured vehicles, submarines or military aircraft were allowed.
A League of Nations was set up as an international police force. Germany was not allowed to join until it proved it was a peaceful country.
Who was Lloyd George and what were his aims?
Prime Minister of the UK -
Wanted a peace treaty that would punish Germany but would not cripple it.
Wanted Germany to recover its economic strength so that it could pay its reparations to Britain.
Germany had been Britain’s number two trading partner before the war and Lloyd George wanted to see trade re-established to create jobs in England.
Who was Georges Clemenceau and what were his aims?
Prime Minister of France -
Extremely bitter about the damage and death that Germany had caused his country
Wanted Germany to pay large amounts in reparations to Belgium and France
Wanted Germany to be split up into small states (as Germany had been before 1871)
Why did Germany sign the Armistice?
Germany and her allies realised it was no longer possible to win the war due to the US joining the war and bring in supplies and troops.
Germany being pushed back on the Western front due to Britain and France.
Germany’s allies signed armistices and removed themselves from the war.
The German Navy was down and the leaders of the German army told the government to stop.
Kaiser Wilhelm, Germany’s ruler, stepped down on 9 November 1918.
Why was Australia so divided?
Most Australians believed that the war was valid and that it was Australia’s duty to fight for the British Empire.
Some of the reasons of opposition to war were:
Prices of goods rose by up to 50%; however, wages did not increase at all. Meaning many families were struggling to put food on the table.
Some industries made massive profits and this created a divide between the rich and poor.
How did Gallipoli impact Australia?
Moreover, it has been argued that Australians felt they had to prove themselves as worthy members of the British Empire due to the nation’s beginnings as a dumping ground for convicts. In line with the values of the time, war was held to be the truest test of the character of men and nations.
Once news reached Australia that the Anzac troops had entered the war, excitement flowed through communities, and there were murmurings of the birth of the nation onto the global stage at last.
Contemporaries claimed that Australian soldiers had proven themselves ‘worthy sons of the Empire’.
The first ceremonies of Anzac day were small then they grew worldwide and more inclusive of gender and colour.
What was the Anzac legend/myth?
Australian soldiers had displayed characteristics such as bravery, mate ship, egalitarianism, and larrikinism. It was claimed that these characteristics were shared by Australians at large. The Anzac legend or myth was born. At a time when Australia still thought of itself as very much a part of the British Empire, these were qualities that made Australia, and Australians, unique.
