The Second World War became the period when Australia got to participate in a massive armed conflict for the first time in its post colonial history. It is also important to mention that at that time Australian troops had to take part in two wars. They fought on the Second World War against Germany and Italy, and they also participated in the battled of the Pacific War fought against Japanese invasion.
Around a million of Australian men and women started their military service in order to protect their motherland and its allies. Over twenty thousand of Australian people were killed during these conflicts, and over twenty thousand were wounded and injured.
In the beginning of the Second World War in 1939, when Great Britain declared war to Germany the Australian troops headed to Europe to assist their allies, but a new threat occurred in the South Pacific.
Since Great Britain joined the war in Europe, Australia immediately became its ally, the political leaders of both countries announced that Australia and Great Britain should be associated as a solid union, so if one of these states is at war, then so is the other one. After 1939 the troops of Australia were mainly based in Europe.
The divisions stationed on the Australian territory were quite weak and could not resist the Japanese invasion that happened in the South Pacific in 1941. This was the time when another ally of Australia, the United States, arrived to the rescue.
The two massive wars Australia took part in at that time were very different. Both of them were a threat for the people of Australia, its land and independence. Australia entered both wars as an ally of Great Britain, protecting its influence and authority in the world, fighting to save the imperial defense system that was crucial for the Australia as a guarantee of protection during the conflict with Japan in the South Pacific.
The main difference between the Second World War and the Pacific War is the fact that the latter became a direct threat for the Australian lands and people.
The horrors Australian troops had to go through during the battle for the Kokoda Track in Papua were unavoidable because the Australian troops had to prevent the Japanese invaders from taking over the Port Moresby, which would open them a way towards a great part of North Eastern Australia (Long, 1973). Kokoda campaign was one of the most dangerous operations that Australian protectors had to deal with.
First of all, the climate in that area is very harsh and rainy, there is a high danger of catching various diseases and infections, besides, the road through Kokoda Track is very complicated and dangerous due to its geographical features (Brune, 2004).
Both the Australians and the Japanese took a huge risk entering that zone, but the risk was worthy because losing Port Moresby meat losing a part of their territory for the Australians.
That war for Australia was complicated by the fact that the Japanese spies have been investigating strategically important regions of New Guinea since 1930s, their operations and campaigns were carefully prepared and thought through, and their men were highly motivated by the country’s political ideology (Williams, 2012).
During the Pacific War Australian people’s patriotism and self-identify shifted quite a lot, they started to view themselves as an independent and authentic nation. The experience of fighting for their own territory, protecting their motherland increased the Australian proud spirit. Besides, the active international relationships created a higher diversity and density within the population of the country.
References
Brune, P. 2003, A Bastard of a Place: the Australians in Papua, Kokoda, Milne Bay, Gona, Buna, Sanananda, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Long, G. 1973, The Six Years War: Australia in the 1939-45 War, Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Williams, P. 2012, The Kokoda Campaign: myth and reality, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.