LibGuides: History: Modern Australia and the world

World War 2 in Europe

Author John Green provides an overview of World War 2

Second World War, 1939-1945: Australian War Memorial
This article highlights the involvement of Australian soldiers in the war in Europe.
The Battle of Britain
Here is a thorough overview of the Battle of Britain from history.com.
The Battle of Britain: Spatacus Educational
Hitler's invasion of Russia in World War 2: BBC History
Bomb Sight
A website that's mapped the locations of bombs dropped on London during the Blitz. Many have first person accounts and photographs attached.

The Battle of Berlin
Read about how the Battle of Berlin finally stopped Hitler's war, and heralded a newly divided Germany.
New territorial boundaries post-World War 2
This map shows you when and where the boundaries for the Eastern Bloc were made, and the boundary dividing east and west Germany.

World War 2 in the Pacific: moving towards war
Historian Kennedy Hickman explains how the militarisation of the Japanese government, and their invasion of Manchuria, started the war.
Japan's quest for empire: 1931-1945
Read about how Japan was making an army that was more and more aggressive towards invading China.

Kokoda campaign: 'Remembering 1942' by David Horner
This is the paper David Horner delivered at the the 2002 History conference. He explains how important the Kokoda campaign was for preventing the invasion of Australia.
What 'battle for Australia'?
Peter Stanley is a former Senior Historian at the Australian War Memorial. He has caused controversy by claiming that Japan had decided not to invade Australia in early 1942, therefore the Kokoda campaign was not a 'battle for Australia'.
Second World War, 1939-1945: Australian War Memorial
Australia's involvement in the war in the Pacific is outlined here, in the second half of the document.
Remembering 1942: the fall of Singapore
Here is an educational talk by Dr. Chris Couthard-Clark for the Australian War Memorial.
Fall of Singapore: Skwirk education
This is a detailed account of the events running up to and during the fall of Singapore.
Australian Prisoners of War
This resource contains information about Changi prison and the treatment of soldiers therein.
Australian prisoners of war: Second World War prisoners of the Japanese
An overview of the locations and numbers of Australian prisoners of war in the Pacific. From the Australian War Memorial.

Check out 'Australia's secret heroes', a TV series on the up-till-now secret operation in Singapore during WW2.

Truman and the A bomb
From PBS digitalmedia, here is a 5 minute video outlining President Truman's rationale for dropping the A bomb on Hiroshima.
The atomic bomb: Hiroshima and Nagasaki
This interesting article by Christopher Hamner looks at the historiography of the events at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and how different tellings of history produce strong reactions.

Campaign for nuclear disarmament
A consequence of the war in the Pacific is the anti-nuclear movement, which calls for countries to give up their nuclear weapons.
Atomic Bombs: postwar Japan
This BBC webpage looks at the arguments for & against the use of the Atom bomb and its consequences.

The ANZUS treaty and SEATO alliance
This article from Swirk interactive schooling looks at the differences between and the responsibilities entailed in these two agreements.

European refugee movements after World War 2
More than 65 Years of Post-war Migration
A fact sheet from the Department of Home Affairs detailing the post-war migration and the impact that it had on Australia.
Half a World Away
An online exhibition from the NSW Migration Heritage Centre on post-war migration to the Orange District of New South Wales.

Immigration timeline
Click through the decades (1940's onwards) on the side bar of the page, to see how the migration policy changed from decade to decade.
The journey to Station Pier
This page focuses on the new immigrants that arrived in Australia, over the decades, who disembarked from their ship at Station Pier, South Melbourne.

An account of the political and propaganda campaigns behind the White Australia Policy.

Production Year: 1992

Duration: 54:24

'All in - leaving home'
How women's role changed on the homefront, from the Women's Auxiliary Air Force to the Australian Women's Land Army.
Getting around town during the war years
What it was like to live during a fuel crisis on the homefront.

Girls' own war stories

Click the image to view this fascinating video of how World War 2 changed the status of Australian women.

The English in Australia by James Jupp
ISBN: 0521542952
Publication Date: 2004-05-11
The Italians in Australia by Gianfranco Cresciani
ISBN: 0521537789
Publication Date: 2003-08-27
Caravanserai : journey among Australian Muslims by Hanifa Deen
ISBN: 1863683887
Publication Date: 2003-05-01
Boat people: personal stories from the Vietnamese exodus 1975 - 1996
ISBN: 9780987158406
Where the Sea Takes Us by Kim Huynh
ISBN: 0732285607
Publication Date: 2008-07-01