Comparing the experiences of World War II

Dec 20, 2005

The University of Wollongong recently received a visit from Professor Jeffery Keshen from the University of Ottowa, Canada who presented a seminar on Australia and Canada's experience of World War Two.

The seminar was presented by the Centre for Canadian-Australian Studies and the War, State, Civilisation and Community research group.

Professor Keshen, a 20th-century Canadian history expert, offered insights into the parallel experiences of the two nations during the war. He established that both countries grew as a nation after the war, in part because of its brutal human cost and the soul searching it entailed.

“The war was the most important event in 20th-century Canadian history,” said Professor Keshen. “It left a stronger, more confident nation, it's just tragic that these realisations were made through war.”

Professor Keshen argued that the war's end led to the basis for the modern welfare state, increased accessibility to remote Canadian regions, provided more opportunity for women and encouraged Canada to become involved in, and to try to solve, international grievances.

Audience discussion followed which illustrated the similarities between Canada and Australia. However differences between the two nations' war efforts were also discussed, largely in relation to American war efforts in Vietnam and the current Iraq War.

The audience also sought to better understand the regional Canadian attitudes towards the war effort. The French Canadian stance in particular was discussed with many audience members from the School of History and Politics offering their own interpretations of this unique regional relationship to the collective war effort.

Professor Keshen's Keynote address was followed by an afternoon session of presentations by PhD candidates.