Added to our collection ‘From the Honest History Archives: five April takes on Anzac and Anzackery‘ is one of two forensic speeches by historian Douglas Newton in Anzac Week 2015. The speech covers respect for the dead, what Anzac commemorations could be (but are not usually), the need for honesty about Anzac, an analysis of why Australia was at Gallipoli (including the secret treaties developed during the war to ‘divide the spoils’), lessons of the war, and thoughts about peace and reconciliation. The speech is extensively footnoted and is a major contribution to the historiography of World War I.
Douglas Newton is the author of Hell-Bent: Australia’s Leap into the Great War. He is one of Honest History’s distinguished supporters.
12 April 2016
