Why did Australia get involved in World War 2?

Answer 1

Once the British and Australians lost control of Singapore, Australians realised that the English weren't such a powerful ally as they had been worked up to be. Furthermore, the English were borrowing huge amounts of money from US and couldn't afford to send troops to help defend Australia and Papua New Guinea; so Australia turned to America. The Americans helped Australia in the counter-offensive in Papua New Guinea, after the Australians had just managed to hold off the Japanese attack towards Port Moresby. The US helped AU greatly in the subsequent battle of Buna-Gona. For more information, research the Kokoda Track Campaign and the Battle of Buna-Gona.

Answer

It wasn't so much that the "English weren't such a powerful ally as they had been worked up to be" but that they were busy and stretched in Europe, North Africa, India/Burma and elsewhere, and their inability to send troops was not that they "couldn't afford to" but were fully engaged elsewhere- having saved the world by standing up to the Nazis virtually on their own (with significant Commonwealth help) for over two years before the US entered the war. The Americans wanted Australia held for their own reasons- it was an ideal base from which to strike back at the Japanese. It was simply a recognition of the obvious that Australia turned to USA for help, a relationship which was mutually beneficial to both.

AnswerTo summarize, Australia was under threat of being invade by Japan and needed some of their troops sent back to protect Australia but the British refused to send any back.

Australia realized that Britain could no longer be trusted for it's protection even though the were their original ally.

Therefor Australia turned to America who would protect them in return for being in charge of their troops.

So everyone was happy.

The end.

Answer 2

As an ally of Great Britain and part of the British Commonwealth, as well as the country itself feeling an obligation in helping Britain as it beingAustralia's Mother Land, Australia had a responsibility to fight with the British forces.

Australia also went into WWII with Britain in hope that if Australia was under the threat of invasion Britain would back them up in return. Only until the fall of Singapore, when Australia lost trust in Britain's ability to protect Australia's shore line. We then turned to the United States of America and haven't turned back since (like we are helping them in Iraq right now). Creating the (ANZUS) Australia New Zealand and United States treaty.

Answer 3

Australia was is part of the British Empire, now the Commonwealth of Nations. The US entered WWII as an ally of the British Empire and France. Therefore, Australia was automatically an ally of the US. Actually, Australia entered the war long before the US did. Also, Japan was attacking all of the Pacific rim, including Australia. Again, Australia = enemy of the axis, ally of US/France/Britain.

Answer 4

In their quest for Natural Resources like oil, the Japanese army had advanced south as far as New Guinea.

It turns out that New Guinea is only a short distance from Australia. In order to keep from being invaded, the Australians joined in the war against Japan.

Answer 5

The situation was not one where Australia "shifted" from alliance with Britain to an alliance with the US. Australia was then and remains today a part of the British Commonwealth, and the US was allied with Britain and all the Commonwealth nations. All these nations fought as Allies against the Axis power. Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and other Commonwealth nations besides Australia were active participants in the Allied effort.

When the war in Europe started in 1939 the British called for troops from Australia. The Australian and New Zealand troops were some of the best in the Commonwealth. Australia is not a country with a large population, even today, and her army was small, though excellent. The Australian Army had only about eight divisions, and they were all sent off and fighting in North Africa. Britain and the Commonwealth were not yet at war with Japan.

At the same time as Japan started a war against the US, Japan also started a war against Britain, and so also against the nations of the British Commonwealth. Australia, having shipped off its Army, possessing only a small navy and practically no air force, was defenseless. It took time for any portion of the Australian Army to be returned home. The Australians needed help, the British had their hands full and could only with great reluctance allow even a portion of the Australians in Africa to start for home. Roosevelt and Churchill agreed that the US must take responsibility for keeping Australia from being overrun by the Japanese. Once that immediate danger was past, Australia made an excellent base for carrying on the war with Japan.

Answer 6

During WW2, Australia and Japan were fighting head on in the Pacific with little help from other countries. All of South-East Asia fell to Japanese rule and continued toward Australia. Singapore also fell at this time so the British simply withdrew and abandoned Australia to their doom.

So, Australian prime minister John Curtin asked Winston Churchill to allow Australian forces serving in the UK to return to protect Australia. The British basically said 'no'.

In a desperate attempt to fight off an invasion, Australia asked America for help which they too said 'no'.

It was only until the bombing of Pearl Harbour when America joined the conflict did they begin to fight the Japanese. However, America didn't really help Australia since by the time they joined Australia had already done most of the fighting and turned the Japanese back. IE, Battle of Milne Bay, Battle of Kokoda Trail, and Battle of Australia.

Australia did ask Britain for help and they spat in our faces, for all the Australian lives lost in WW1 it meant nothing.

Answer 7

Because he felt it was inpotetenet