Mr John Howard of Cranbourne (Voluntary Sacrifice For Empire, News, Thursday 27 March) states that I have “a unique and interesting view of Australian Great War commitment and sacrifice”.
I refer Mr Howard to Professor Marilyn Lake’s and Professor Henry Reynold’s book What’s Wrong With Anzac: The Militarisation of Australian History.
Both Australian historians and other leading scholars in Australian history, in this text, argue that the commemoration of the Anzac anniversary has seen historical fact replaced by mythology.
The exact causes of World War I can be debated, but the Great War happened during a time of great imperialist rivalry between many countries, not just Germany, seeking to expand their empires and influence.
It also happened when Australian foreign policy was still constitutionally dominated by Great Britain and when xenophobia had found expression in the White Australia policy.
Mr Howard’s “domino theory” of Germany and the Great War has never ever been substantiated and should be relegated to the dustbin of history; where it belongs.
John Glazebrook,
Endeavour Hills.
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