Gendered Perspectives on War and Nationhood: The Prism of Anzac

Abstract

The Anzac legend, which commemorates the participation of Australian forces in the Great War, is the most popular and pervasive symbol of Australian nationhood. Like many national mythologies, it privileges masculine experience. Originally grounded in the fighting ability of Australian soldiers, it has shifted over time to emphasise sacrifice, suffering and mateship. The innovative gendered perspectives that began to emerge in the 1980s have expanded understanding of the Great War beyond the battlefield, to reveal the roles that women played in war time, their experiences of grief and loss and the burdens they bore in the aftermath of the conflict. By enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the Great War, feminist historians have challenged traditional tropes of male heroism and martial baptism.