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7) It made the AIF anxious for action; no matter the circumstances;
and
8) The long trip from Australia to Europe and their training in Britain
enabled our soldiers to blend together and encouraged them to
develop a unified spirit.
Try to be a “learner all of the time!
Whilst both Sophie and I have approached our descriptions of what we
consider to be the main factors determining the idea of an “ANZAC”
Legend Spirit it only takes just one other historian to present a different
view of the Legend and its origins.
A discussion with local historian, Peter Murray, reminded me of several
issues that influenced the development of an “ANZAC Spirit”, that
ensured that soldiers were willing to lay down their life for others.
The main issues we raised were:
1) The geographical isolation of Australia made it very dependent on
British naval power for protection. The build up of German military
and in particular naval power made it incumbent on Australia with
close links to Britain to join the fight against what was seen as a
common enemy and the survival of the “Empire” against a
common foe;
2) Generally our political leaders were very quick to encourage our
volunteers to do the “ right thing” and to join other Commonwealth
countries in their fight against Germany and her allies. They, like
Prime Minister Fisher, were very quick to support the country they
perceived as the “Mother Country”. See epitaphs later in this book.
3) Censorship of the media meant that most Australians at home were
unaware of the savagery involved in the war at the Front. This was
mitigated by the fact that most soldiers were not involved in
continuous battle because otherwise battalion numbers would have
been quickly dissipated. Remember, C.E.W. Bean was the only
journalist given the official recognition by the Government to cover
the war. For example, the Australian populace only became aware
of the great losses suffered at Fromelles and Pozieres after the war.
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