Homefront In Other Countries

This part of our site focuses on the Homefront in countries other than Canada. Scroll down to learn more about life on the Homefront in places like Australia!!

An enlistment poster issued by the Queensland Recruiting Committee (Australia)

It reads: 1. If you are physically fit and between 18 and 44 years of age are you really satisfied with what you are doing today?
2. Do you feel quite happy as you walk along the streets and see OTHER men wearing the King's Uniform?
3. What will you say in years to come when people ask you "What did you do in the Great War?"
4. What will you answer when your children grow up and say " Father! Why weren't you a soldier too?"
5. What would happen to the Empire if every man stayed at home?

Most of Australia was in favour of the war. There were a few, however, who actively opposed their country's entry, but there wasn't much they could do at the time. Once Australia joined the war, their was a great change in their economy. The impacts of these changes varied from good and bad.

The Australian government wanted to make sure their wheat, meat and wool reached Britian and helped the war effort there. So, it passed a new law giving it the power to acquire whole wheat and wool harvests. This act was impossible under the Consitution, but was totally allowed under the War Precautions Act.

Posters were put up to encourage men to fight

ALCOHOL AND THE HOMEFRONTS
    During the war, alcohol back at the Homefront became a big problem. Leaders like the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Lloyd George) were against alcohol consumption because they were afraid it would affect the performance of their men and women. Many countries, like Russia for instance, banned the production and sale of Vodka and/or other alcoholic beverages. This didn't exactly help matters because the people, unable to buy vodka, produced their own.

   Finally, in 1915, Lloyd George started a campaign to persuade national figures to make a pledge that they would not drink Vodka or any alcoholic beverage until the war was over. King George V was one of the first to support this campaign. He claimed that no alcohol would be consumed in the royal household until the war was over.

   Another thing government and leaders were concerned about was the amount of alcohol consumption by females.A survey of four pubs in London revealed that in one hour on a Saturday night alcohol was consumed by 1,483 men but 1,946 women.

Later in the year of 1915, the British Government announced several steps they would be taking that they belive would reduce alcohol consumption.

1) A No Treating Order was laid down so that people could not buy alcoholic

   drinks for other people. A husband could be fined for even paying for his wife's drink!

2) Public House opening times were also reduced to 12.00 noon to 2.30 pm and

   6.30 to 9.30 pm. Before the law was changed, public houses could open from 5

am in the morning to 12.30 pm at night.

3) The government also increased the level of tax on alcohol, and to this day, it remains one of

     the most highly tax priced items to buy!!

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