Figure 1.--. |
|
Australia's great heritage must be its unique flora and fauna. And the aborigenes or a living remanent of the eastern-most movement of man's first foray out of Africa. Until recently it was assumed that man moved out of Africa into Asia, Europe, and ultimately Australia at about the same time. We now know that Australuan aborignees are the remanents of an African migratiin that began far earlier thanb the migration that would later people Asia ad Euope, pribably moving east by hugging the shore line. Australia's modern history is largely an apendage of English history transplanted to Oceania. The original settlers were of course convicts--the susposed dregs of English society. The success of those convicts is testimony to the injustices in English society at the time. And they have given Australia a democratic, informality that is a characteristic of the national character. Australians played an important role in assistng Britain in the two World Wars of the 20th century, but played a heavy price. Germany made the mistake twice of making military calculations without considering the Dominions and Amnerica. Because Australia was assisting Britain when the Japanese struck, it was virtually defenseless. It was saved, however, by the American Pacific Fleet. This transformed the national outlook and essetially cut the umbilical cord with Britain.
Australia's great heritage must be its unique flora and fauna.
All modern humans have African origins. All homonods originated in Africa. Thgen something happened (about 150,000 BC). Anthropolgistrs debte just what happened. Theories range from evolutuinary developments to clkimate change. This was a contriversial theory when first proposed (19th century). It is now accepted anthropolical doctrine. Much is still not known beyond what made the migration out of africa possible. Another question was when and how this migration took place. Scientists until recently (2000s) generally believed that this process occurred gradually, presumably through Sinai and than into Asia and Africa. Anthropologists assumed that man moved out of Africa into Asia, Europe, and ultimately Australia at about the same time. The Australian aborigeenes were assumed to have been simply the farthest extent of this migration. DNA studies, however, tell a different story. There were apparently at least two major waves. It was the firt wave that ultimtely led to the peopleing of Australia (before 50,000 BC). The migratiin through Sinai that peopled Asia and Europe occurred much later (after 40,000 BC). Australia's aborigenes or thus a living remanent of the eastern-most movement of man's first foray out of Africa. And rather than moving through Ssnai, the ancestors of the aborignees almost certainly moved east by hugging the shore line. This seems to have occurred relatively rapidly. These people no longer exist along the cast of South Asia and Southeast Asia because they were replaced by people descending from the lter wave. There is, however, some genetuc traces of tge first wave. The strongest is on the Andaman Islands. The Aborignees survived as a people because sea levels rose abnd the second wave out of Africa which arrived in Southeast Asia much later could not get to Australia.
Australia's modern history is largely an apendage of English history transplanted to Oceania. The original settlers were of course convicts--the susposed dregs of English society. The success of those convicts is testimony to the injustices in English society at the time. And they have given Australia a democratic, informality that is a characteristic of the national character.
Australians played an important role in assistng Britain in the two World Wars of te 20th century, but played a heavy price. Germany made the mistake twice of making military calculations without considering the Dominions and America. World War I was the most costly war ever fought by Australia. Australia's population in 1914 was less than 5.0 million people, less than Belgium. Conscription proved to be highly controversial. Australians reacted to the outbreak of the War in Europe with a wave of enthusiam to support Britain. Over 0.4 million men enlisted. The Army set very demanding physical standards. The first Australian troops were deployed to Egypr to protect the Suez Cannal which was threaened after the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers. The Australians were rushed to Egypt with little military training. They were trained after arriving in Egypt. The Australians were used along with New Zealand, British, and French troops in the costly Gallipoli campaign (1915). After Gallipoli the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was reorganised. Reinforcements arrive from Australia expanded the force from from two to five infantry divisions. The AIF was shifted to France, beginning in March 1916. There they participated in the bloody engagements on the Wstern Front. Caulties totaled 60,000 killed, four times that of Belgium where much of the War was fought. Another 156,000 men were wounded or captured.
Because Australia was assisting Britain when the Japanese struck, it was virtually defenseless. It was saved, however, by the American Pacific Fleet. This transformed the national outlook and essetially cut the umbilical cord with Britain. Australia joined Britain in fighting NAZI Germany after the German invasion of Poland (1939). As in World War I, the draft became a potent political issue. War with Italy followed after Mussolini declared war and invaded an already defeated France (June 1940). Australia's small army was deployed to Egypt and played a major role in the defense of the Suze Canal against Rommel's Afrika Korps. Other Australia units were deployed to the British bastion at Singapore. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Singapore quickly fell. Perhaps the greatest disaster to British arms in the War. The British and Australians taken in Singapore were bryrally treated by the Japanese. The fall of Singapore meant that Australia itself was largely defenseless, Its army was either in North Africa or captured along with the Singapore garrison. After seizing the Dutch East Indies and much of New Guinea. The Japanese bombing Darwin and other cities in northern Australia. The Japanese next targeted Port Moresby to complete their conquest of New Guinea in preparation for an eventual invasion of Australia. The country was vulnerable because the Australian Army was largely in North Africa fighting the Afrika Korps. The Australians had also been weakened by the surrender in Singapore. At the time the only meaningful force between Australia abd the Japanese were two American carriers Yorktown and Lexington. These carrers alerted by American code breakers and intercepted the Japanese in the Coral Sea (April 1942). Although Lexington was sunk and Yorktown badly damaged, the Japanese invasion force turned back. This gave the Australians time to train a new army and for American troops and supplies to arrive in Australia to build a creditable force. The Australians then turned back a Japanese effort to seize Port Moresby in an overland attack and played an important role in the reconquest of New Guinea.
Navigate the Children in History Website:
[Main Oceania history page]
[Main national histories ]
[About Us]
[Introduction]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Climatology]
[Clothing]
[Disease and Health]
[Economics]
[Freedom]
[Geography]
[History]
[Human Nature]
[Law]
[Nationalism]
[Presidents]
[Religion]
[Royalty]
[Science]
[Social Class]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Children in History Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Australian pages
[Australian choirs]
[Autralian movies]
[Australian orphanage clothing]
[Australian school uniform]
[Australian television]
[Australian youth groups]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main Australian page]
[Return to the Main Oceania histiory page]
[Return to the Main national hitories page]
[]
[Hawaii]
[Indonesia]
[Kiranati]
[Marianas]
[Micronesia]
[Nauru]
[New Zealand]
[Palau]
[Philippines]
[Pitcarin]
[Samoa]
[Solomasn Islands]
[England]