| Author: | Sue Bagust | ISBN: | 9780463378267 |
| Publisher: | Sue Bagust | Publication: | February 11, 2019 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition | Language: | English |
| Author: | Sue Bagust |
| ISBN: | 9780463378267 |
| Publisher: | Sue Bagust |
| Publication: | February 11, 2019 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition |
| Language: | English |
“Men and women of Australia, we are at war with Japan” - Prime Minister John Curtin, December 1941
December 1941 marked Australia’s coming of age. Prior to this Australia trusted Great Britain to dictate foreign policy so Australia's military campaigns of 1941 were the last as part of the old British Empire. Although Australian forces played key roles in four Middle East campaigns, they were led by a British Commander-in-Chief who received his instructions from London so the Australian government had no authority and little input to these decisions. The Japanese attack in December 1941 completely changed this policy.
When Australia’s Prime Minister Curtin became aware that Mother England did not intend to defend Australia, Curtin looked to Uncle Sam as a new ally. However, the United States remained neutral until 8 December 1941 (Australian time) when Japan challenged British and American power in the Pacific. Japanese troops landed on the north coast of Malaya and quickly moved south and Japanese carrier-based aircraft bombed the United States’ Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, hoping to destroy U.S. naval power to give Japan time to build their own Asian/Pacific Empire.
Australia herself was under threat, with the bulk of Australia’s army still in the Middle East serving under a British Commander-in-Chief who did not want to lose any of his forces.
“Men and women of Australia, we are at war with Japan” - Prime Minister John Curtin, December 1941
December 1941 marked Australia’s coming of age. Prior to this Australia trusted Great Britain to dictate foreign policy so Australia's military campaigns of 1941 were the last as part of the old British Empire. Although Australian forces played key roles in four Middle East campaigns, they were led by a British Commander-in-Chief who received his instructions from London so the Australian government had no authority and little input to these decisions. The Japanese attack in December 1941 completely changed this policy.
When Australia’s Prime Minister Curtin became aware that Mother England did not intend to defend Australia, Curtin looked to Uncle Sam as a new ally. However, the United States remained neutral until 8 December 1941 (Australian time) when Japan challenged British and American power in the Pacific. Japanese troops landed on the north coast of Malaya and quickly moved south and Japanese carrier-based aircraft bombed the United States’ Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, hoping to destroy U.S. naval power to give Japan time to build their own Asian/Pacific Empire.
Australia herself was under threat, with the bulk of Australia’s army still in the Middle East serving under a British Commander-in-Chief who did not want to lose any of his forces.
