🌹 the conscription debate 🌹 Flashcards
what is conscription?
cumpolsary enrollment for service in a country’s armed forces
in 1916, the australian imperial force was the only force that was made up entirely of what?
volunteers
who and why suggested conscription?
prime minister william hughes / volunteer recruitment declined
what did you need in order to introduce a conscription?
approval from the parliament
how were they planning on pressuring the government to agree to the conscription?
gaining public approval through a referendum
what is a referendum?
a vote in which people indicate their support for or against an idea/change.
what were the referendums and their results?
referendums in both 1916 and 1917 had failed - majority voted no
how did the conscription debate divide the loyalties of australia?
- australians felt the loyality to their own young nation and the desire to shape its destiny
- most still felt strong links to britain
what themes did william hughes’ focus on for his national speaking tour?
- maintaining AIF at full strength
- maintaining national honour by not deserting britain in its time of need
why did people support conscription?
- extended loyalty to britain
- women saw it as a means of supporting men already at war
- service would be more fairly shared
- could exclude men with wife and children, under 19 or essential workers
what additional theme was added to the 1917 campaign for a yes vote?
branding those men who had not enlisted as shameful
why did trade unions campaign against conscription?
they feared employees would be replaced by foreign or female labour and provide opportunities for emplyers to abandon worker rights
why did people not support conscription?
- wrong and immoral
- unjust to force someone to go to war
