Why soldiers enlisted in WW1 Essay

Words: 1341
Pages: 6

To what extent did Australian’s enlist in 1914 to defend the ‘Mother Country’?
There are many reasons to why Australian’s went to war in the 1914; everyone had different reasons for applying for this life- threatening job. Some went for the thrill, to get a job, to get away from the drought and some people even had war fever. On the other hand, some people went because they felt like it was the right thing to do and because everyone else was doing it. A lot of time people think only about the soldiers that went to war and forget about the women who also enlisted as nurses and did other important jobs. England was like home to the Australian’s but is that really why they went to war, when it comes down to it this is only a small reason
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Many thought that it would be glamorous and exciting, but the reality was that they were living in filthy trenches, alongside their dead comrades, who couldn't be buried in the rush. Australians joined the war with ignorance. Most of the Australian soldiers enlisted to support Britain because they were not aware of the full extent of war.

Women played huge roles in World War 1 at the home front. They managed their family and many became nurses and other duties, which contributed to the military services. Women became cooks, stretcher bearers and interpreters. The war caused women to take care of their family without support from their husband. Women were open to a variety of jobs as the men were at the war and there were voluntary work for women to contribute to the war. The Australian Women’s Service Corps (AWSC) was formed in 1916 and several women joined. They performed tasks at the battlefront that didn’t involve combat. They worked as ambulance drivers, cooks and nurses. Women weren’t taken seriously and the Defense Department didn’t want women to involve in the war as it was dangerous Women who entered the work force were working short-term as the men would come back from the war so they could take back their job.

There were several organisations. The wife of the Governor-General, which was named the ‘Australian Branch of the