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Foreword

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2015

John Blaxland
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
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Summary

This book about the development and operations of the Australian Army in the period from the election of the Whitlam Government in 1972 to the defeat of the Howard Government in 2007 constitutes a significant contribution to Australian military history. Australia’s military history began with the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 and now stretches over a period of more than two and a quarter centuries. This book deals with more than 35 years of that history.

Australia’s more recent military operations are perhaps the least understood in the nation’s military history, which has always focused heavily on the two world wars. The Australian public’s knowledge and appreciation of the sacrifice, suffering and achievements of its servicemen and women grew out of the experience of the First World War. This knowledge was based on memoirs, unit histories and particularly on Charles Bean’s ground-breaking 15-volume official history series, published in the two decades after the First World War. Many people still believe that Australia’s experience of war began with the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, completely overlooking the activities of the previous century, and Gallipoli is still the dominating episode – the iconic event – of Australia’s military history. The public’s appreciation of the experience of the Second World War built on and matched that of the First World War, with more memoirs, unit histories and Gavin Long’s 22-volume official history.

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Chapter
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

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  • Foreword
  • John Blaxland, Australian National University, Canberra
  • Book: The Australian Army from Whitlam to Howard
  • Online publication: 05 February 2015
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107445246.022
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  • Foreword
  • John Blaxland, Australian National University, Canberra
  • Book: The Australian Army from Whitlam to Howard
  • Online publication: 05 February 2015
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107445246.022
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Foreword
  • John Blaxland, Australian National University, Canberra
  • Book: The Australian Army from Whitlam to Howard
  • Online publication: 05 February 2015
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107445246.022
Available formats
×