How did conscription divide Australia during WWI?
 
Conscription relied enormously upon propaganda to convey its message to it's audience. It used a variety of techniques to play with peoples feelings and emotions. Fear, guilt and shame were used to persuade people to vote a certain way. Fear was often implanted into the minds of women and children through posters which advocated conscription in an attempt to make them believe that by voting 'yes' the men could continue to fight and the Germans would not invade their country.


While some were influenced by propaganda others believed that  conscription denied a person their basic human right to freedom and was equivalent to sending a man to his death unwillingly. Many people believed that sending more troops overseas only to be killed in the War, was utter stupidity on Australia's part and that the patriots were putting the British Empire before Australia.

Trade unions and group workers believed that if conscription was voted in then there wouldn't be enough men to run the factories. This would mean that Australia would of had to accept immigrants for cheap labor. This was seen as creating two problems for Australians,the first being that it would open Australia's previously closed doors to non-white immigrants and the second being that the wages of white workers would consequently be lowered.

Many other people in society were also divided on the issue of conscription, particularly women who were targeted in the propaganda. While some women who had sons and husbands already away at war requested other men to join to support them, other women were concerned about putting their loved ones in danger, especially if they did not want to go.

In the end, conscription did not receive enough support and was never introduced into Australia in World War I.