History World War One
World War One was an event in Australian history that affected the nation in many ways: we lost 59, 432 men, we earned international recognition, we were loyal to the empire, and the Anzac volunteers who fought overseas were, and still are, labeled as heroes. ... However, to the soldiers, the men and women who lived during the war and to anxious family members, the only names they connected with were “adventurers”, and “diggers”. The announcement, which was heard by the nation on August 5th, 1914, was: “Australia is now at war”. Ultimately, Australia was not directly under the threat of war, however she was still under British rule and therefore most soldiers fought for the empire. Propaganda played a large role in persuading men to go to war, with convincing and manipulating statements, which affected different people of different target groups. Propaganda was greatly utilized during the war, and glorified soldiers as the ultimate champions and heroes who were respected by all. Word of mouth was a common use of manipulation, because not everybody had access to a wireless or a radio, the most recent news of the war would be passed on. ... Here is where the ‘Hollywood version’ of Australia’s World War One greatly manipulates the viewers feelings on the roles the Anzac’s played in society. ... However, the very last scene of Gallipoli is the most convincing one. ... One question reiterated in all of the interviews is: “do you think the Anzac’s should be glorified as heroes? ... Many, sensitive about the issue, said that using ‘war’ and ‘glory’ in the same sentence was inappropriate. ... One related the heroics of World War One to the heroics of today’s Iraqi war. Regarding the technology advancement over time, from primitive wireless radios during and prior to the war period, to today’s colour televisions, wide screens, and satellite connections, the media and the press have a gigantic range of publicity outlets to play with.