"We have come to the crisis in this war. The need for men has not lessened; the need
for Australia playing her part as becomes a nation of free people is not affected by
recent events." Prime Minister Billy Hughes was determined
to convince the public that Australia needed conscription.
It was 1917 the middle of the First World War and there was a shortage of men volunteering to
fight. He wanted to be able to force people to fight
for their country. That's known as conscription.
And by this point, most other countries involved in the war were already doing it.
But it was controversial and for years, it had divided Australia.
The First World War had been going since mid-1914 and all of Europe was caught up in it and
Australia, as a member of the British Empire, had to go along.
Some young men wanted to join the army for adventure and excitement a few even lied about
their age to do so and, while tens of thousands quickly enlisted so many in fact that they
were sometimes turned away. In a few short years it was a different story.
Many had already been killed or wounded during the campaign at Gallipoli, Australia's first
real involvement in the war. And thousands more were dying on Western Front in France.
"With more young soldiers like you, we may be able to win this war."
Labor Prime Minister, Billy Hughes, believed
making young men enlist to fight overseas was the only way.
So, he took it to the people holding a plebiscite. Basically, a vote of the whole country.
Some believed Australians had a duty to fight. There were campaigns and posters promoting
the need for conscription to protect the country. Others were strongly opposed.
Like the Women's Peace Army, led by Vida Goldstein. "You, who give life, cannot, if you think deeply
and without bias, vote to send any mother's son to kill, against his will, some other
mother's son." On October 28, 1916, it went to a vote.
The nation answered no, but only just. Soon after, the Prime Minister was forced
to leave the Labor party because most of his party didn't support conscription.
So, he went on to start the Nationalist Party instead.
The Nationalist Party got into government and then there was a plebiscite for the second
time. On 20 December 1917, the vote was another
failure. Conscription was never successfully brought in.
But by the war's end in November 1918, a total of 416,809 men had voluntarily enlisted.
Close to 40 per cent of the male population
aged between 18 and 44. There were even Aboriginal men who volunteered
despite racist laws that tried to stop them. But the conscription debate wasn't over.
In the Second World War, people could be forced to fight in Australia and in some cases,
overseas. Then in 1964 conscription was brought in
for the Vietnam War. Every 20-year old man in the country was part
of a nation-wide lottery. If their birthday was drawn out, they were
forced to go and fight. So, there were big protests and many young
men refused to go. Some Australians didn't believe the war
in Vietnam was necessary, and that Australia shouldn't be fighting.
"You have absolutely no legal right to stop us going over there"
In 1972, the conscription law was scrapped, three years before the war in Vietnam ended.
Singing: "Solidarity forever..."
It would be the last time Australians were sent to fight in a war against their will,
and the policy of conscription would remain a controversial part of our country's history.
Singing "...for the union makes us strong."