The Anzac Legend : An Important Aspect Of Our Identity Essay

The reasons that I will bring forward that emphasise what the Anzac Spirit includes the sacrifices made by men and women, Anzac Day traditions, Australia’s identity and the qualities of the Anzac Spirit.

The Gallipoli campaign was described as the baptism of the newly federated Australia, and a chance for Australian soldiers to prove themselves to the world. They were not ultimately victorious, but the soldiers came to represent the character traits of the new country: fit and healthy, duty bound and courageous, good humored and egalitarian. The ANZAC image allowed Australians to both demonstrate loyalty to Britain, and claim an identity of their own. There is much to challenge the factual accuracy of the ANZAC image.

World War One is regarded as a major turning point in history and modern warfare which has impacted Australia monumentally, scarring the nation’s history. Australia played a significant role in World War One and the Gallipoli campaign, which is considered the birthplace of the ANZAC legend. These events have immensely shaped Australia as the nation we know of today. World War One began in 1914 from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and ended in 1918 on November the 11th which is now recognised as a day of mourning and a time given recognition to the lives taken on the battlefield. To a prominent extent, the ANZAC legend is significant to the concept of Australian identity and nationalism through the origins of the ANZAC legend, the key events that have helped form Australia as an independent nation, and in addition to how ANZAC day is commemorated today.

Yet, the amount of emphasis that is placed on the Anzac legend could be argued to be incorrectly placed and channelled by certain groups for their own gain. This essay will argue that the Anzac legacy of the Australians being the perfect soldier is highly embellished and are no more remarkable than any other soldier. Furthermore the importance and Australia’s involvement in the First World War has been grossly inflated. Additionally, this will analyse claims made by historians and other academics about how the Anzac legend has changed overtime, and Australia’s involvement in wars.

The Anzac legend is still relevant in today’s society as it reminds Australians and New Zealands of the sacrifice they made to protect our country and let us live in freedom. The legend defines our national identity and helps shape our national reputation so that other countries can look at us as and think of us as a country who are determined, brave, resilient and helps our mates when they are in trouble. Almost a whole generation of young men was lost and they deserved to be remembered. The soldiers continued to fight during challenging times and when they felt as though it was too hard and should give up. They slept in wet and dirty clothes and barely had enough food to survive. Australia wouldn’t be Australia without the legend of the soldiers who sacrificed themselves for us.

The Gallipoli campaign had a major effect on Australia’s identity and the way the rest of the world saw Australia as a country. The Gallipoli campaign was a trial to test their nationhood. The campaign shown many qualities of the Australian soldiers including bravery, strength, courage, endurance and mateship. All of these qualities reflect on the nation that the troops came from. The involvement of Gallipoli was a major event that has shaped our country’s reputation and the sacrifices made by so many Australians shows the fortitude that many men had to fight for their nation.

By the time the war was over in November 1918, more than 9 million soldiers had been killed. Those who survived Gallipoli would never again mistake war for adventure. Within 24 hours the plan had failed, leaving approximately 747 Australians dead on the first day. Gallipoli has become so important to Australia’s national identity because it was the first time Australian’s fought overseas. World War 1 has shaped the way Australia’s now lives as we grow to know, and respect the Anzac legend as we understand what the soldiers did for our nation. The ANZAC legend will always live on as the stories are passed through family, to family. Anzac Day is celebrated to ensured the campaign will never be forgotten.

On the 25th of April 1915, Australia took its first major step as a nation by sending soldiers off to fight in Gallipoli; these soldiers charged and fought their way through countless challenges, forging themselves a legend, but more importantly – forging Australia an identity. As time sparks controversy and scepticism, many begin to doubt the validity of the ANZAC legend. This opinion however, is unmistakably inaccurate as many diverse and credible sources document the ANZACS battle against their trials and tribulations as being heroic. The ANZACs endurance, mateship and courage are undoubtedly an accurate depiction of the ANZAC legend.

The landing at Anzac cove, Gallipoli, is a significant part in the history of our identity in the war and the world. I

Australians fought in many wars, but the most successful war was thought to be ‘the war to end all wars’ (World War One). The Anzacs had experienced many hardships in this horrific war; special qualities were developed throughout the war such as endurance, mateship and courage. On the 25th of April the birth of the Anzac legend had risen. As they charged into enemy territories, in the early morning of the 1900s, they were destined to succeed despite the raining gun fire by the Turkish soldiers. Mateship, courage and endurance gradually strengthened deeper into the war; as a result, no one could take away these three imperishable qualities. Many historical records show many different perspectives about the Anzac legend. As a nation, we look upon three main attributes that the Anzacs had demonstrated courage, mateship and endurance. Therefore, the Anzac legacy continues to prosper in its purpose to motivate the modern Australian society.

However given the changing scape of Australian identity it is still relevant to multicultural Australia to keep commemorating the loss on Anzac day? Further does our lack of acknowledgment of the female and indigenous role diminish the value of our commemoration? The birth of the Anzac legend was on the 25th of April when the Anzacs first landed at Gallipoli. Australians and New Zealanders showed many different values during this battle. The values portrayed were courage, endurance, initiative, discipline and mateship.

Anzacs went through some mateships and sacrifices that made the Anzac legend including other things that they did. To simply sum what the Anzac Legend is, its helping mates out, sacrificing yourself for your mate when you know they would do the same is the situationa was reserved. never giving up and this is what the Anzacs did by showing bravery and honesty for a 8 month long war with all the messednu[ situation and after failing, turning impossible to possible still showing the world that the Anzac spirit was made by the peole sacrificing thei life for family nd mate and doing what they can even during those tugh situation invade and take possesition of turkey starting with Gallipoli, take control of a landalong a trenched water called

Australia has always been centered around diversity and change, specifically with the vast multiculturalism and migrant culture throughout the nation. The specifics of Identity hold an important role in shaping our identity as students and as a nation. Australians pride themselves on being a land of the free and full of diverse culture. This is specifically referred to in our national Anthem; “For those who've come across the seas, We've boundless plains to share; With courage let us all combine,”(McCormick, 1984). Displaying Australia’s open attitude towards immigrants and contributes to the diversity present within our society today. Even before this, much of Australia’s Identity was associated with caucasian culture (Originating from British Settlers). Which is the dominant perception of Australia through the media with australian representation being present through the stereotypes of Bogans, which was made popular through shows like Kath and Kim (ABC, 2007). Also, represented through the popular depiction of Australian people - the bushman made popular by movies like Crocodile Dundee (Faiman, 1986) and through famous real life bushman; Steve Irwin. An important aspect of Australian identity which is consistently neglected is the culture and representation of the initial owners of the land; the aboriginal people. Throughout history the constant mistreatment and neglect of the indigenous, has lead to a massive gap in privilege between the aboriginal people and our

In February 1915, the Greek government offered the members of their alliance Lemnos as a base, for a marine attack on a Turkish Strait. The attack was unsuccessful and Lemnos became a massive military camp for troops in their alliance, including a large number of ANZACs that were preparing for a land attack on the Turkish Army that was established on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The Greeks provided food, water, and shelter for the ANZACS in Moudros. Soon later the ANZACS embarked on the famous Gallipoli landings on April 25th 1915, where thousands of soldiers died. Throughout the time of war Lemnos played an important role, housing big hospitals and places for soldiers to recover. Some of those who died rest in peace in the war cemeteries in Moudros.

The Anzacs, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, forged Australia’s national identity when on 25 April 1915, they sacrificed their lives gallantly in Gallipoli (Black 1990:33). Many of the values and virtues characteristic of this troop, are embodied in the sacredness of Australia’s civil religion (eds. Robbins & Robertson 1987:244). Mateship, egalitarian individualism, and hostility to formal bureaucracy and hierarchy are hallmark of the beliefs the nation holds sacred, in conjunction with elaborate war memorials that serve as architectural reminders, totems, of comradeship, ruggedness and sacrifice (eds. Robbins & Robertson 1987:244). RSL, Returned Servicemen’s League, clubs established throughout the nation are temples where fellowship and communion are enjoyed and tradition is perpetuated through the transmission of legend and folklore (Alpert 1993:200-1; eds. Robbins & Robertson 1987:244). The establishment of Australia’s civil religion was solidified when on 20 October 1916, the War Precautions Act was proclaimed, forbidding the use of the word Anzac in the profane and penalising any person who did so with a fine of one hundred pounds or six months imprisonment (Seal 2007:136-7). Enshrining the term ‘Anzac’ in law and imbuing it with a special status, further established it as sacred, resulting in Anzac Day being accepted in 1930 as a