Agora 2025-1 Comparing the World Wars

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Comparing the World Wars | Agora vol. 60 no. 1 (2025)

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REFLECTION/EDITORIAL	Reflection Elisa Litvin Editorial Guy Nolch



THEMA Reflections on the theme
	Opposition to War and Military Conscription in Two World Wars Bobbie Oliver What were the objections and actions, punishments suffered and achievements of dissidents who opposed conscription in Australia during the two world wars?
	Love and Fear: Voluntary Service in Two Global Conflicts Madeline O’Neil Love and fear motivated young Australians to volunteer their lives by enlisting to serve during the world wars.
	Indigenous Australian Service in the World Wars Rachel Caines The stories of Indigenous Australians who served in the world wars are important parts of our national military—and socio-political—history.
	Australia’s Generation of War Leaders Zachary Gorman and Matthew Allanby The experiences of a generation who had endured World War I as young adults influenced their decisions when they oversaw Australia’s war effort in World War II.
	Continuities and Changes in the Nature of Warfare Bart Ziino A defining element of the world wars was the role of civilians in sustaining the war effort, and the deployment of weaponry against civilian populations to break their will and capacity.
	Sea Power and Sea Control on the Australian Home Front Erik Eklund and Elena Butova The focus of Australia’s sea power changed across the world wars as the threats to the nation’s supply lines became closer and more intense.
	Women and the World Wars Julie P. Johnson Women in France and Australia were involved in many ways in the world wars, but by the end of each their contributions were downplayed.
	The Experiences of Women during World War II Vanessa Roesler Exploring the contrasting roles of women in World War II, from battlefield heroism to home front contributions, highlights their resilience, sacrifices and impact on Australia’s wartime efforts.
	Beyond the Frontlines: The Enduring Legacies of World War II in Australia Nicholas Ferns From immigration to a more assertive role in international affairs, World War II can be considered the pivotal event that created the modern Australia.
	Australia’s Pearl Harbor Turning Point Sue Rabbitt Roff While Australia turned to the USA to help defend it against Japan during World War II, the USA was fulfilling its own strategic needs by stationing a million troops in Australia.
PRAKTIKOS Teaching ideas
	Can War Be Just? Katherine Houston Exploring the ethical dimension of war can deepen students’ historical knowledge and skills, while engaging them in critical thinking and argumentation.
	Between Two Wars: The Interwar Period in the Australian Classroom Simon Holloway and Tracey Collie The formation of new nation states in Europe during the interwar years led to increased nationalism and resentment of minorities, particularly Jewish people.
	Experiential Learning along the Remembrance Trail Heather Sharp and Elsie Leask Study tours that are designed to meet student learning outcomes from the History curriculum are being offered by a broad range of schools.
	Pedagogical Approaches for History Teachers to Compare the World Wars Susan McBride and Melissa Takada Teaching strategies ranging in complexity from Venn diagrams to experiential learning can help students understand the similarities and differences of the world wars, and how they shaped the modern world.
	Building Skills Like a Boss Athena Kavaleris Understanding the critical words in examination questions enables students to structure essay responses that demonstrate their analysis of historical knowledge and understanding to assessors.
	How to Make HTAV’s Ancient Greece Textbook a Page-turner Michael Scandurra Artefacts and activities at the Hellenic Museum can extend student knowledge and interest in Ancient Greek heroes and hoplites.
KRITIKOS Reviews	All reviews are available online Beyond the Broken Years: Australian Military History in 1000 Books By Peter Stanley Reviewed by Caitlin Arneil, McKinnon Secondary College Forgotten Warriors: A History of Women on the Front Line By Sarah Percy Reviewed by Richard Gehrmann, University of Southern Queensland He Belonged to Wagga: The Great War, the AIF and Returned Soldiers in an Australian Country Town By Ian Hodges Reviewed by Katherine Smith Survival and Sanctuary: Testimonies of the Holocaust and Life Beyond Translated by Freda Hodge Reviewed by Caitlin Arneil, McKinnon Secondary College With My Little Eye By Sandra Hogan Reviewed by Elizabeth Morgan, Janison Assessments Hiding in Plain Sight: How a Jewish Girl Survived Europe’s Heart Of Darkness By Pieter van Os Translated by David Doherty Reviewed by Kaye De Petro, Education and Services Officer, HTAV  How They Fought: Indigenous Tactics and Weaponry of Australia’s Frontier Wars By Ray Kerkhove Reviewed by Nigel Page, Churchie Anglican Church Grammar School A Very Secret Trade By Cassandra Pybus Reviewed by Elizabeth Morgan, Janison Assessments A Little History of the Australian Labor Party By Nick Dyrenfurth and Frank Bongiorno Reviewed by Patrick Bruce, St Albans Secondary College Kosciuszko: The Incredible Life of the Man Behind the Mountain By Anthony Sharwood Reviewed by Kaye De Petro, Education and Services Officer, HTAV   W. E. H. Stanner: Selected Writings By W. E. H. Stanner Reviewed by Nigel Page, Churchie Anglican Church Grammar School Designing Inclusive Assessment in Schools Edited by James P. Davis, Sarah Adams, Catherine Challen and Theresa Bourke Reviewed by Ben Lawless, Aitken College Travelling to Tomorrow: The Modern Women Who Sparked Australia’s Romance with America By Yves Rees Reviewed by Kaye De Petro, Education Officer, HTAV