Why did Australia hate Germany during WWI?

Answer 1

I don't know whether or not the Aussies "hated" Germany but The Germans were involved in a very aggressive colonial expansion at the turn of the 20th century which included New Guinea, The Bismarck Archipelago, and The Marshall Islands, all of which were in Australia's sphere of influence. Also, Australia was still a part of the British Commonwealth at the time, therefore England's enemy was also an enemy of Australia.

Answer 2

Australia more feared Germany, than hated it. As a Imperial power, Germany was seen as the autocracy against the might of the British democratic Empire. A fight for freedom against German imperialism.

The most prominent reason why - was because we were isolated and undefended. The Anglo-German naval arms race before the start of the war concerned Australia that the Germans would be able to build more battleships than Britain, and thus control the seas.

Now this wouldnt have mattered so much if the Germans did not own the Western portion of New Guinea - which is only a couple hours sailing of Australia's main cities of Darwin. Australia's fear of the Germans was realised in 1914 when the German South East Asia fleet under Speer and the German raider Dresden, fuelled in New Guinea.

The fact that Australia bought a modern battlecruiser, the 'Australia' to act as part of the British defence in the Pacific was an example of Australia's fears of both Germany and Japan.

As part of the British Empire in 1914, Australia shared British concerns of a German military machine running wild through Europe and South East Asia. The 1914 German invasion of Belgium and the stories of the German 'Hun' raping and pillaging poor innocent Belgium only fuelled Australia's fears of the Germans.

The German declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare and the sinking of allied merchant ships and warships added to a fear that the Germans had no respect for the rules of war, and were ruthless - imagery of a raging evil Hun.

Answer 3

During WWI, the world was pretty much divided as either allied or axis powers. Germany was attempting to expand quite rapidly and during that time Australia was still a part of the British Commonwealth. Australia had the same enemies as Britain did, therefore Germany was an enemy.

Answer 4

"When Britain declared war on Germany on 1914-08-04, Australia and the other members of the British Empire were automatically involved. On 1914-08-05, the Prime Minister Joseph Cook declared a war between Australia and Germany by stating "When the Empire is at War, so also is Australia". Since most Australians were of British decent, there was unanimous support from all corners of the country. Australians flocked to recruiting centres in order to fight for country and empire. When Prime Minister Andrew Fishers Labor Party came to power in September 1914 Fisher reiterated Cooks statement saying, "Should the worst happen' Australia would 'rally to the Mother Country' to help and defend her 'to our last man and our last shilling' "."

"Military history of Australia during World War I : Outbreak of the war" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Australia_during_World_War_I#Outbreak_of_the_war

Answer 5

The question is why did Australia 'hate' Germany, not why did Australia go to war against Germany (that's easy - because Australia was essentially 'British' in outlook, sentiment and politics). Hate is a trickier subject...

There's a couple of things. Folk's 'hatred' was whipped up by propaganda that had Belgium nuns being raped and babies stuck on the end of German bayonets. It might seem 'over the top' to us, but folk back then were less cynical and took it pretty much at face value. As the war progressed and the casualty list grew (one in four Australians serving in Gallipoli and France were killed) folk back home had more immediate reasons to hate the Germans for bringing death and grief into their homes. German place-names and family names in Australia were changed to 'English' alternatives. Even those folk who wouldn't admit to having 'hateful' feelings would probably say that they felt bitter towards Germany for letting loose such havoc on the world.

Possibly the most 'indulgent' attitude towards the Germans were held by the front line troops, who had a better (and earlier) sense than most folk that they'd (German and Allied troops alike) got themselves involved in the greatest meat grinder in history and that it had been started and was being continued by politicians and generals without regard to the suffering or 'ordinary' people and the troops.

A sense of the attitude of the Australian soldiers in France can be had by understanding that they voted against conscription, and the Australian force remained an entirely volunteer one throughout the war. This despite their commanding officers encouraging them to vote for conscription (and being told that a 'no' vote meant that they'd have to stay in France longer without relief). Basically their attitude was that war was hell and that they'd not drag anyone into against their will. This isn't the attitude of a 'hateful' army.

Back home, though, was a different story. See the attached link for a propaganda poster by Norman Lindsay, one of Australia's foremost painter of nudes.

Answer 6

Germany was a threat to Britain, and because Britain is Australia's "mother country", Germany was also a threat to Australians. Afterall we did fight in the war against them

Answer 7

for the same reason we all hated Germany during WW1 and WW2

Answer 8

Not many like Germans till now.Australian must be having solid reasons of their own.

Answer 9

Because they were the enemy... You don't usually like the enemy when you are fighting a war.