A Rambling ANZAC Day post

So today is ANZAC day, for many it commemorates the initial landing by the British, Australian, New Zealand and French forces at Gallipolli on the Turkish coast, the start of what can only be called a militarily disasterous campaign for the British. For many more it is a day to think about those who have served their country (whether you accept the validity of the conflict they served in or not).

Personally I've gone through a whole range of views on ANZAC day. When I was a kid, I was unpopular because I was taught by my father that it celebrated failure and I took his view as gospel. As I grew up I realised that this view somewhat missed the whole point of the exercise.

Yes, Gallopoli was a failure. Tens of thousands of men on both sides lost their lives over the course of nine months, with many more wounded or made ill by the horrendous conditions in the trenches. However, and this is important, it was on the shores of Gallipoli that the Australian forces really did start to define themselves as seperate and above the british. This carried on into the rest of the war, with Australia increasingly unwilling to be treated like some sort of pseudo-english force, and demanding more of a partnership role in the conflict.

What started in the failure of the English commanders, ended with the Australians becoming a respected fighting force in their own right, from the digger in the trenches (just ask the Turks or Germans who they would have preferred to face, Tommy's or Diggers), to the commanders (Sir John Monash was one of the leading proponents of the new air/armour/artillery/infantry combined arms operations). This is and should be a source of pride for the nation.

There are those who argue that we should never have gotten involved with World War 1. We weren't threatened in any way by the conflict (the Japanese were part of the Allies the first time round) and we were just starting out as a nation, why were we running around on mummy's apron tails, and to be honest I think they're right.

However we're looking at it in a time where the call of Empire and Home Country has largely become a joke, only taken seriously by the ACL and Consitutional Monarchists. In those days, the prevailing view was very much that Australia was still part of the greatest Empire the world had ever seen. Those who signed up for the entirely voluntary AEF (Australian Expeditionary Force) were going on a grand adventure, going to thwack fritz or johny turk on the nose and be back for Christmas.

Now we are much more aware of the cost of war. The advent of film, television, radio and now the internet has brought the true costs of conflict into our homes with an immediacy that Australians in 1915 could never have imagined. Today we are treated daily to news footage covering conflicts raging in Afghanistan, Libya and which ever african conflict is erupting at the moment. We don't have the luxury of romanticising war as some sort of boys own adventure. 

Hrmm I've rambled a bit I think. I personally have a lot of respect for those who are willing to put their lives on the line for their country, and while I think we should be a lot more careful about we as a nation use those lives, ANZAC day for me will always be a day when I think about those people who served and sacrificed for our country.