World war 1 conscription
What is Conscription?
Definition of conscription:compulsory enlistment for state service, typically into the armed forces
The armies that fought in World War 1 only one was made formed by volunteers. In 1916 Labour Prime minister William Morris Hughes decided that Australia should follow Britain's example by having conscription in Australia. The Australian Labour Party was against conscription, but Hughes went against party policy and tried to win public support for conscription.
Supporters of Conscription argued that Britain was in danger and many Australians were already fighting and dying,so people who haven't stepped forward should be forced to do their duty. They called people who had not volunteered traitors and cowards. Conscription was one of the most divisive issues in Australia's history. Opponents argued that there should there be no conscription of the wealth of the privileged classes. People that where scared of conscription described the supporters of conscription as destroyers of democracy,murderers and war profiteers.
Conscription was defeated in the referendum in October 1916 (1 087 557 Australians voted in favour of conscription but 1 160 033 voted against it. There was a second referendum on December 1917, conscription was again defeated. This time it was 1 181 747 against 1 015 159
William Morris Hughes was born on the 25th of September and was the 7th Australian prime minister. Hughes lasted as our prime minister for 8 years (1915-1923) and being president during World War 1, Hughes supported (along with 24 other pro-conscription members) conscription and this soon formed national labour. Shortly after, national labour merged with the commonwealth liberal party and formed the Nationalist party. The nationalist party then formed a coalition with Country party, who refused to work under Hughes putting an end to his career as prime minister.
Hughes was the longest- serving prime minister at that time and is the fifth longest of all time. Hughes later led the United Australia party through the 1943 election even though Arthur Fadden served as coalition leader. At 90 years of age, Hughes past away and was known as the longest-serving member in parliament and a very colourful/controversial members.
The prime minister of Australia in 1914, Andrew fisher found leadership difficult during the First World War and began to feel the pressure by Hughes who wanted Australia to be recognised by the rest of the world. By 1915, fisher was ill and in October he resigned and Hughes took on the position and the responsibilities which came with it. After the loss of around 28,000 men between July and August in 1916 the AIF persuaded Hughes to introduce conscription. Many people disagreed with this, and at a plebiscite Hughes was defeated by Melbourne's Roman Catholic archbishop. Conscription had been in place since 1910 but only in the defence of the nation. In 1916, Hughes was expelled by the NSW executive of the Political Labour League. After being expelled Hughes said " I did not leave the party, the party left me".
Bibliography: Textbook
http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/hughes/
http://billyhughes.moadoph.gov.au/conscription
https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/conscription/ww1/