Part 1 - The impact of WWII on returned soldiers and civilians
Wars have significant impacts on all those who are involved, directly and indirectly. These impacts can be observed during and after the war is over, therefore it is important that we explore the effects of war on returned soldiers and civilians.
Activity 1
As a class , we will look at a letter written by Emily "Queenie" Bennett, a civilian mother from Victoria. Her letter will help us understand the impact of WWII on civilians.
http://www.australiansatwar.gov.au/stories/stories_war=W2_id=60.html
Consider the following :
* The time this letter was written
* Who wrote this letter?
* What are the concerns highlighted in this letter?
* What do we learn about the impact of war on civilians through Emily's letter?
The impact of the war on returned soldiers was mostly psychological. However, this was not addressed correctly and in turn caused many issues for returned veterans and their families. Kristy Muir, a researcher at the University of Wollongong explains this further.
"As minimal numbers of psychiatric casualties were anticipated, post-war governments implemented very few specific rehabilitation services." p.129
"...many veterans who returned to Australia with a mental illness did not understand what was wrong with them. The general public also failed to understand mental illnesses in their veteran sons, husbands and brothers and the stigmatised nature of mental illnesses resulted in veterans and their families hiding these problems. This meant that the veterans and their families took on a burden that could not be shared with extended family or friends, and it also often meant that veterans were left for decades without adequate treatment." p.164
How do we treat returning war veterans today ?
Hurdle Task!
Visit www.dva.gov.au and research the services provided to veterans today
useful link:
http://www.dva.gov.au/rehabilitation/rehabservices/Pages/Rehabservices.aspx
Note down some of these services in your workbooks.
Activity 2 - Role Play
Some men who served for many years during World War II and had left very young children behind, returned home after the war to find that their children did not remember them. How would such a situation affect family relationships?
Choose one of the following as your character and based on the information you already know about the war and its impacts, explain how you would feel after WWII.
*Returned soldier
* Wife of a returned soldier
* Child of a returned soldier
* Parent of a returned soldier
As a class , we will look at a letter written by Emily "Queenie" Bennett, a civilian mother from Victoria. Her letter will help us understand the impact of WWII on civilians.
http://www.australiansatwar.gov.au/stories/stories_war=W2_id=60.html
Consider the following :
* The time this letter was written
* Who wrote this letter?
* What are the concerns highlighted in this letter?
* What do we learn about the impact of war on civilians through Emily's letter?
The impact of the war on returned soldiers was mostly psychological. However, this was not addressed correctly and in turn caused many issues for returned veterans and their families. Kristy Muir, a researcher at the University of Wollongong explains this further.
"As minimal numbers of psychiatric casualties were anticipated, post-war governments implemented very few specific rehabilitation services." p.129
"...many veterans who returned to Australia with a mental illness did not understand what was wrong with them. The general public also failed to understand mental illnesses in their veteran sons, husbands and brothers and the stigmatised nature of mental illnesses resulted in veterans and their families hiding these problems. This meant that the veterans and their families took on a burden that could not be shared with extended family or friends, and it also often meant that veterans were left for decades without adequate treatment." p.164
How do we treat returning war veterans today ?
Hurdle Task!
Visit www.dva.gov.au and research the services provided to veterans today
useful link:
http://www.dva.gov.au/rehabilitation/rehabservices/Pages/Rehabservices.aspx
Note down some of these services in your workbooks.
Activity 2 - Role Play
Some men who served for many years during World War II and had left very young children behind, returned home after the war to find that their children did not remember them. How would such a situation affect family relationships?
Choose one of the following as your character and based on the information you already know about the war and its impacts, explain how you would feel after WWII.
*Returned soldier
* Wife of a returned soldier
* Child of a returned soldier
* Parent of a returned soldier
Part 2 - Australia's changing relationship with other countries after WWII
Activity 3 - Worksheet
Curriculum Bytes. World War
2 - Australia and World War 2: changing relationships with Britain and the USA. Retrieved from http://www.curriculumbytes.esa.edu.au/index.php/history/6-resources/692-world-war-2-australia-and-world-war-2-changing-relationships-with-britain-and-the-usa
How is this change in Australia's foreign relationship reflected in the modern Australian foreign policy ?
Has this change in alliances benefited Australia? Explain your answer with examples
Has this change in alliances benefited Australia? Explain your answer with examples