Curtin
A STUDYGUIDE b y R o b e r t L e w i s
www.metromagazine.com.au
www.theeducationshop.com.au Curtin
OVERVIEW The Japanese are working their way John Curtin is generally considered down through Asia with alarming to be one of Australia’s greatest ferocity. Australia is completely Prime Ministers. unprepared. But what’s behind the history Blow by blow, we follow Curtin books? What were the realities that through a chilling and tumultuous he faced at the time? What qualities ride over six months behind the did he show? What failings? walls of power. Curtin (Jessica Hobbs, 2007) Curtin lives and breathes his can help your students explore work and is forced to endure the these questions while developing pressures alone, while his wife, a greater knowledge and Elsie, attends to her ailing mother understanding of and empathy with back home. Australia’s World War 2 situation. Then, Darwin is bombed. Australian The 92-minute film takes its defences are crushed. Curtin viewers behind the political scenes battles via cables with the Empire’s in wartime Australia. heavyweight, Churchill, to re- route Australian troops to defend We first see John Curtin walking home soil. It quickly becomes a the beach at his home suburb of monumental battle of wills with Cottesloe, Perth, expounding on his Curtin fighting both Churchill and political destiny, ruminating on the members of his own government. state of the war. We also see him He looks to America, but as the family man, and as the friend Churchill is actively undermining of the Japanese Ambassador to Roosevelt’s understanding of Australia, Tatsuo Kawai. Australia’s position, and will not As Leader of the Opposition, support Australia’s vision of an Curtin could be poised to American-directed Pacific war from reach out and claim the Prime Washington and Australia, rather Ministership of Australia, but he than from London. refuses to make a grab for power. Curtin’s health deteriorates rapidly Is it out of fear, or out of a sense of as he desperately seeks support, all statesmanship and leadership? the time conscious of thousands of The government self-destructs. Australian troops on unprotected With the war against Hitler ships sailing to Australia through intensifying, the last thing the public Japanese-dominated waters. Will wants is a weak and bickering Curtin be saviour of Australia, or government. Curtin is the only the cause of its destruction? man deemed fit for the job. Power This is a raw and intimate story of becomes his. Does he have it in him a driven and inspirational leader to be a warlord? – a man who struggles to battle Curtin no sooner takes office than his own personal demons while the Pacific erupts. Pearl Harbor serving and protecting a country is bombed. For the first time, at war. Australia lives in fear of invasion.
SCREEN EDUCATION CURRICULUM APPLICABILITY Curtin Curtin is a 92-minute drama that recreates the vital months at the start of the Battle for Australia. It is suitable for Year 10-12 secondary students in: • History – Australia at war: The home front • Politics – Political power • English – Biography
BEFORE WATCHING THE FILM Would you be a good wartime Prime Minister? Here are some situations facing the Prime Minister in 1941 and 1942. Make your decision about each, and compare your responses with those of Curtin at the time.
1 You are the Opposition leader. The Government is weak and Do you: divided. They ask you to join a new Government that will A Join the Government and hope that you include both Labor and Liberal Ministers. You disagree with will be able to influence its decisions? many of the policies and decisions of the Government, but B Keep your party in Opposition, oppose the if you join you will not be able to criticise them. There is no Government where necessary, offer better election due, so if you do not join you may not have a chance alternative policies, and just wait until you to come into power and implement your ideas for years. can come into power and implement your However, the Government depends on the support of two ideas? Independents, and their allegiance might change.
2 You are Prime Minister, but your health is a problem. You Do you: occasionally need time in hospital when the stress becomes A Take time to make yourself well, even too great. though it means you are occasionally unable to make decisions? B Keep going, make the difficult decisions required, and risk the failure of your health taking you out of action for a long period of time rather than occasional short periods?
3 The way the media reports the war news can influence Do you: people’s morale and affect the war effort. You know that A Impose strict censorship so that the media Australia is facing defeat, the war is not going well, there is cannot tell the people what is happening? plenty of bad and depressing news about. The media will soon B Give the media all the information, explain find out. the seriousness of the situation to them, and ask them not to report on it?
4 Australia has a long-standing relationship with Britain, and a Do you: new one with the emerging power, USA. We entered the war A Stick with the British, keep our with Britain, have sent our troops off to fight with the British, commitment to them, help them win the and have based our wartime strategy on co-operating with war in Europe, and wait until they come the British war in Europe. A new enemy has entered the war, and help us in the Pacific? and the British seem unable to help us in our own area of the B Look to the new power, the United States, Pacific. and weaken our ties to and commitment to our old ally?
SCREEN EDUCATION Curtin
5 Australia is under threat. Its best troops are in northern Africa. Do you: You want to bring them back to defend Australia. The British A Bring them back to Australia? Government wants them to go to Burma, and help defeat the B Let them go to Burma where they may be Japanese there. Then they can come back to Australia. able to influence the war against Japan, then bring them back later?
6 You have a close friendship with the Japanese Ambassador to Do you: Australia. He has often given you good advice and insight into A Maintain a relationship with him and the Japanese Government. He does not agree with the Japanese benefit from his advice? policies that have led to war, but is loyal to the Japanese B Stop all contact with him, even though this Government. will threaten your friendship and cut you off from his information?
As you watch Curtin you will see each of these situations being faced. At the end, discuss what Curtin did, and whether it was a good decision in each case.
SCREEN EDUCATION BACKGROUND INFORMATION Curtin
Curtin is a detailed period piece. The following information about wartime people and events will help you understand the historical context in which it is set. People The Labor Party
John Curtin Prime Minister. Curtin had brought together the various factions of the Labor Party, which had fractured after the loss of power in 1929 and the problems of the Depression.
Don Rodgers Curtin’s Press Secretary. Responsible for helping Curtin deal with the press and the electorate.
Ben Chifley Treasurer under Curtin. He became Prime Minister after Curtin’s death in 1945.
Bert Evatt A brilliant but erratic lawyer. Attorney General and Minister for External Affairs in the Curtin Government. Evatt became leader of the Labor Party after Chifley’s death, but was destroyed politically when he opposed the outlawing of the Communist Party by Menzies in the 1950s.
Jack Beasley Minister for Supply and Development in the Curtin Government. A New South Wales ALP member and a leader of one of the factions within the party that made unity difficult to achieve.
Eddie Ward Another New South Wales member of the Labor Party and factional leader who pursued his own preferred policies even when they conflicted with those of the majority.
Robert Menzies Prime Minister from 1939 to 1941, and then again from 1949 to 1966. An able politician, Menzies was believed by many to be too close to the British to be a good nationalist leader. Served on the Advisory War Council, an all party body that advised the Government on war matters.
Artie Fadden Leader of the Country Party. He became Prime Minister for a short time after Menzies was sacked by the UAP, but then lost that position when two Independents chose to support the ALP, meaning that Labor then had a majority in the House of Representatives and could form government with Curtin as Prime Minister. Served on the Advisory War Council.
SCREEN EDUCATION Curtin Other figures
Frederick Shedden The public servant who was Secretary of the Department of Defence, Shedden played a crucial role in organizing the administration and defence of Australia during World War Two.
General Sturdee A gifted officer, General Vernon Sturdee was well qualified by education and experience for his role as principal military adviser to the government. He had opposed sending Australian forces to Singapore.
Tatsuo Kawai Japanese Ambassador to Australia, who developed a lasting friendship with Curtin and his family. Kawai came to Australia in March 1941 as a strident pioneer exponent of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. He also was a friend of warmongers. Kawai had been the international voice of Japan’s expansionism as the Foreign Ministry’s Director of Information. In this role he had demanded acceptance of Japan’s leadership over all of Asia, had praised Hitler and condemned Roosevelt. Tatsuo Kawai had become, rather remarkably, a pacifist, as testified in a report to Canberra by the captain of his guard. Back home in wartime Japan in October 1942, Kawai was ostracized for calling on his countrymen not to hate Australians.
Don Whitington A journalist for the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
Percy Spender One of the former United Australia Party Ministers who served on the Advisory War Council.
Frank Green Clerk of the House of Representatives. The public servant responsible for the administration of the Parliament.
SCREEN EDUCATION Curtin International leaders
Winston Churchill British wartime Prime Minister after May 1940, he was determined to protect Britain, and believed that the war against Germany had to be won first, and then the Japanese could be defeated. He was prepared to use all available resources for this.
Franklin Delano US President who, though neutral, was sympathetic to and assisted the British in Roosevelt their war against Germany, until the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbour brought the USA into the war.
Hideki Tojo Japanese Prime Minister who was in effect in control of Japanese policy, and took Japan into war to expand its territories and resources.
The Story of Australia’s War
1939 During the 1930s, Germany expanded its territory to include Austria and Czechoslavakia. In 1939 ‘Australia is at it threatened to invade Poland. Britain and France, fearful of the growing German strength, warned war …’ that if Poland was invaded, they would declare war. On 1 September, the German army marched into Poland and on 3 September, Britain and France declared war on Germany. In 1930 Australia saw itself as a member of the British empire and Commonwealth. Australians opposed German expansion and when the British Government declared war, Prime Minister Menzies announced that ‘Australia was also at war’. With the coming of war, Australia had to make a decision; should it look after home defence (there was a fear that Japan might try and expand its power), or send troops to help Britain. The British assured Australia that any Japanese attempt to expand southwards in Asia towards Australia would be stopped by the British army in Malaya and the British navy based at Singapore. This had been the basis of Australia’s pre-war defence planning, so Australia committed itself to a European war. Australia was not prepared for war. In the early stages of the conflict Menzies stressed that it was ‘Business As Usual’ while an effective force and supply system were developed. The Royal Australian Navy was put under the control of the British; the Army began recruiting and training men; and Royal Australian Air Force recruits were promised to the Royal Air Force.
1940 After the invasion of Poland in 1939, there had been little fighting. Then in the summer of 1940 ‘Phoney War’ Germany attacked in western Europe. Its Blitzkrieg (‘Lightning War’, using dive bombers and light period ends tanks to move quickly and break through enemy defences) saw Germany swiftly conquer most of France. By the end of June 1940, Britain stood alone against a triumphant Germany. The German air force (Luftwaffe) now attacked England in preparation for an invasion. Italy also entered the war on the side of the Germans opening up a new area of conflict in the Mediterranean and North Africa. By July 1940, Australian forces were stationed in Palestine in the Middle East, and towards the end of the year they saw action against the Italians in north Africa.
SCREEN EDUCATION Curtin
1941 Australia’s main war involvement in this year was in the Middle East, north Africa and the War in the Mediterranean. Middle East The Australians fought well and successfully in north Africa, but disaster struck in Greece and Crete. The second AIF proved its worth as fighters, but hundreds were killed, and thousands of Australians were taken prisoner, and spent the rest of the war out of action. The entry of Russia into the war after a German attack brought a powerful new player into the war. This mistake by Germany, trying to win new lands for expansion, meant that Germany would be defeated, as she now had to supply troops against Russia as well as in western Europe. The Japanese attacked the United States base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 7 December 1941. The Pacific War began because Japan was trying to secure supplies of raw materials – such as rubber and tin – which were vital to its industrial expansion. It launched invasions of Thailand and Malaya, at the same time as the attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States was the only country with sufficient naval power to oppose Japan in the Pacific – but the Japanese missed their most vital target, the American aircraft carriers. Had the aircraft carriers been destroyed, the outcome of the Second World War may have been very different. The entry of Japan into a Pacific war threw Australia’s war strategy into chaos. Our greatest fear – an expansionary Asian power with a strong navy capable of bringing the war right into Australian territory – was realized.
1942 This was a period of great fear of Japanese invasion. The Japanese seemed invincible, and swept The Battle for through the Pacific and Asia. Port Moresby was the key to Papua-New Guinea, and to the control Australia of Australia – if the Japanese could control that port, they could launch attacks against the Australian mainland, disrupt supplies between Australia and America, and gather forces to invade Australia. For Australia, this was the most serious year of the war. The Australians planned badly against this threat. The Singapore force, though it fought well in parts, was inadequately trained and equipped. The Japanese captured hundreds of thousands of allied troops at Singapore, and swept towards New Guinea. Three battalions were sent to defend Ambon, Timor and Rabaul. Each battalion comprised about 1000 men, and they were poorly equipped, were not well trained, and were quickly defeated by the vastly superior Japanese forces. The Japanese were eventually stopped in New Guinea by Australian, and then Australian and American forces, and their invasion fleets were defeated at the naval Battles of the Coral Sea (May) and Midway (June). The real threat of invasion was over after these naval battles, but the fear lived on in people’s minds for another year. The early part of the year saw the Japanese victorious everywhere; by the end of the year they were under threat everywhere. The Japanese over-extended their supply lines in New Guinea, and once the Allies gained control of the air they could re-supply troops better and keep them in more effective fighting order. The tenacious Japanese still had to be defeated, but the threat of their successful expansion was finished. They were now increasingly the defenders, not the attackers.
SCREEN EDUCATION Curtin MapSA Australia and the world
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~scranmer/Misc/world_map_political.jpg B The Japanese Empire 1942 http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/pacificwar/pacwar.gif
SCREEN EDUCATION Curtin
UNDERSTANDING THE FILM ministerial group? 14 Curtin now decides to bring 6 How would this create problems troops home from the Middle East to defend Australia. Where Curtin requires you to follow and tensions for Curtin as Prime does Churchill want them to go? political events as well as personal Minister? Why? ones. 7 When Curtin becomes Prime 15 What does Churchill do Watch the film and answer these Minister he talks again to Tatsuo about it? questions to make sure you Kawai. What does he learn from understand the significant events in this conversation? 16 How does Curtin react? the plot. Then explore some of the 8 Where are the Australian troops 17 Look at a map and work out ideas and issues raised in the film in that will be needed to deal with the route a ship would take more detail. this crisis? Why are they in these bringing the troops back from 1 When Curtin begins, with which two main places? northern Africa to Australia countries is Australia at war? 9 What happens to the Australian (remember the Suez Canal!). Why is it dangerous? 2 We first see John Curtin at troops (about 15,000 of them) in home, in Perth. What are your Singapore? 18 Where does Churchill want the first impressions of him? 10 How do Curtin and his fellow troops to be landed? 3 We also see him at home with Ministers feel about Britain’s part 19 What policies does Curtin the Japanese Ambassador. What is in this? introduce in Australia to help the their relationship? 11 Why does Curtin now start to war effort? 4 The Prime Minister at this look towards America rather 20 Why is the appointment of time is Robert Menzies. What than Britain? General MacArthur so important impression does the film give of 12 Why would some Australians to Curtin? him as a war leader? not be happy about this? Why 21 The troops eventually arrive 5 The Government suddenly would others agree with it? back in Australia safely. What changes, and Curtin is appointed 13 Why does Curtin now not trust would have happened if they had Prime Minister. What impression British Prime Minister Churchill’s landed in Burma as Churchill had do you get of the new Labor direction of the war? wanted?
SCREEN EDUCATION 10 Curtin 22 What final impression of Curtin does the film leave you with? EXPLORING IDEAS AND ISSUES RAISED IN THE FILM
Character Studies A major focus of Curtin is on the qualities and character of the main figures. 1 What is your opinion of John Curtin? Record the most significant elements of his character in the left-hand column of a table like this:
Curtin’s qualities The Scene
2 What has led you to this assessment? That is, what features of the film have been influential in forming your opinions? In the right-hand column of the table above, identify a scene in the film that contributed to each impression. For example, you might have listed one quality or characteristic of Curtin as ‘shrewdness’. Beside that you might put: ‘Where he brought the journalists on-side by trusting them with secret information’. Give examples from the film to justify each word in your list.
SCREEN EDUCATION 11 Curtin These lists of characteristics can be used to create a short portrait of the people portrayed in Curtin. Here is the filmmaker’s characterization or portrait of the key figure, John Curtin: William McInnes as JOHN CURTIN It’s 1941 and John Curtin is now 56-years-old and Leader of the Opposition in Federal Parliament. With disapproval for Prime Minister Menzies at an all time high, Labor is on the brink of being thrust into power. But some hold doubt about Curtin’s stability and ability to lead the country. Curtin’s character reveals a complex mix of great emotional frailty, cunning political thought, simple and compelling honesty, and an incisive problem solving, mathematically gifted mind. But the most potent weapon in his armoury is a vulnerable humility that lures even the most unlikely into affectionate friendship. If John Curtin wants you onside, he’ll get you there. In the confines of small town Canberra, with the uniting force of being at war, he’s formed close friendships on both sides of the House. He eschews the trappings of power and position, he’s just as likely to hop on a tram or bus, or hitch a lift, as use his car and driver. If only it were not for the crippling self doubt that plagues him. This is where our journey with Curtin begins. 3 Discuss the style of this characterization. 4 Add some extra paragraphs in the same style, describing Curtin as we see him during the film. OR Create a similar description for one of Elsie Curtin, Elsie Curtin Jnr, Ben Chifley or Don Rogers. (You can compare your characterization with that of the filmmakers on the next page.)
SCREEN EDUCATION 12 Curtin
Noni Hazlehurst as ELSIE CURTIN Blunt and practical, 50-year-old Elsie is a matronly figure. Dealing with John’s dark mood swings has added to the wear and tear of the years. John adores her without reservation, and says so, to everyone. Through all the years John has been largely in Canberra, Elsie has run his Perth electoral office from home, and is as politically astute as her husband. With one foot in Canberra and one in Perth, John Jnr in the Air Force and a mother she’s going to have to place in a nursing home, Elsie has only one person she can call on to share the load, her daughter, Elsie Jnr. Asher Keddie as ELSIE CURTIN JNR Elsie is a smart, stylish 24-year-old working for Manpower in the war effort. There’s a lot of her mother in Elsie Jnr, the same articulate political nous, the same sense of humour. The big difference is, she loves being in Canberra. It’s Elsie Jnr who’ll be there through the long dark nights, when Japan strikes out towards Australia, when all teeters on the brink, and almost overwhelms Curtin. She will truly know her father by the end of it. Dan Wyllie as Press Secretary DON RODGERS The dapper Don Rodgers, is in his late 30s and is a former journalist who was recruited by Curtin as his Press Secretary when he became Leader in 1935. He deals with the press and is listened to and regarded as a sophisticated, quick thinking operator. Wherever Curtin is, Rodgers is one pace behind fielding the press, keeping him company through the long nights when depression sets in and John can’t sleep. Don keeps a constant barometer on the moods, knows exactly when to let people in close, and when to keep them away. Geoff Morrell as BEN CHIFLEY Pipe-smoking Ben Chifley is one of John Curtin’s closest mates and destined to be Treasurer in the Curtin Government. The two men’s lives have run on a remarkable parallel. Born in the same year and raised in stern working class Catholic families, both left school at fourteen, joined the Socialist movement, opposed conscription in World War One, married non-Catholic girls and fell out with the church. They both ran for Federal Parliament in the 1928 elections, and won their seats. However, where John lived on an emotional edge, battling depression and the grog, Ben was steady as a rock, a quiet, plain- spoken man. He’s had to pick John up often enough to have no illusions about him, but is loyal and steadfast to a fault.
SCREEN EDUCATION 13 Curtin Leaders and Leadership: Would you elect this man?
One of the main themes in Curtin is leadership, and the qualities it requires. 1 If you were given the chance in 1941, would you have voted for Curtin as Prime Minister? Give brief reasons why. 2 What qualities do we want in our leaders? Brainstorm to draw up a list of desirable qualities. Some have been done as examples. Then decide if John Curtin showed these qualities.
Leadership qualities we want in our political Did Curtin show these qualities? and national leaders Honesty Intelligence Judgement
3 Here is some more information about Curtin. Decide whether each claim affects your answers to question 1 above. Why or why not? A He was a reformed alcoholic. B He was a lapsed Catholic. C He was considered by many in his Party to be weak and indecisive. D He had opposed conscription in World War One, so might not introduce it when it was needed in World War Two. F He had suffered at least one nervous breakdown in the past. 4 Imagine that a politician was seeking to become Prime Minister today. Which of these would newspapers or political opponents reveal? Which, if any would influence voters? Should they? Do we have fair and realistic expectations of our leaders today? Discuss these questions.
SCREEN EDUCATION 14 Curtin Film Style Curtin is a very realistic period drama. What are the advantages of this? And are there any ways in which authenticity in fact limits or restricts the impact of the film? Read this article about the experience of making Curtin, and consider the questions that follow.
For producers Andrew Wiseman and Richard Keddie, bringing the story of Australian wartime Prime Minister John Curtin to television audiences took longer than World War Two itself. After viewing a one-minute tribute to the former leader, they were hooked. ‘We were captivated by John Curtin’s story, we knew very little about him at the time, but sensed he was an inspiring man who also had many flaws’, says Wiseman. Keddie goes on to explain: The more we researched and learned about Curtin, the more we realized the story is one of the most important and defining moments in Australian history and few people know of it! But where to start? While Curtin had an interesting life from start to finish, the telemovie concentrates on a relatively short period of that life, a period that is full of incidence, intrigue and reveals something, the producers hope, of Curtin’s broader complexities. Wiseman: Curtin became Prime Minister in October 1941 and then in quick succession there was the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the fall of Singapore, followed very swiftly by the bombing of Darwin, and serious conflict with Churchill over the deployment of Australian troops – if ever there was a baptism of fire for a Prime Minister, this was it. … To obtain a sense of this remarkable man, we worked really hard with the writer, Alison Nisselle, to try and blend a range of his character elements. So we look at his actions not only as a wartime leader but also as a father and husband. Recreating the 1940s era, from what was available in modern day Melbourne was no easy task. Wiseman: We wanted it to be as authentic as possible and conducted a lot of research not only for the script but also for the art department, location and costume departments, so that the veracity of the piece could be as faithful to the times as possible. Keddie: Ten days out from filming we still didn’t have some of the crucial locations locked in. It was tough. Most of Melbourne’s Art Deco buildings are gone. In the end we had fantastic support from the RAAF who thankfully have protected their unique buildings at Point Cook and Laverton. But the pressures were all worth it, according to Keddie: I am so really excited about this piece, perhaps more so than anything else I have done. The telemovie relays the story of how Australia as a nation changed forever, revealing intimate moments such as Curtin’s realization that Japan was declaring war; great moments of courage and vision when Curtin was confronted by Churchill, as well as deeply moving moments of personal trauma, as Curtin struggled with depression. Bringing that history to life was a real privilege. This is a truly great story about a great character. Wiseman: Curtin brings to life a time when our nation was under fire and this man, metaphorically, was also under fire. Looking at the pressure these two factors create, leads to a mesmerising narrative about a truly fascinating man.
SCREEN EDUCATION 15 Curtin 1 How does the film establish its style right from the start? 2 Does the emphasis on authenticity contribute to your appreciation of the film? Are there any ways in which the creation of authenticity is hindered or lessened by this realism? For example, when the historical characters turn to the cameras and speak directly to the viewers, does this add to the impact (by making us participants) or does it detract from the realism (we know we are not participants)? Our culture is different, so do we react to what we see and hear in the same way that people of 1941 would have reacted to what they saw and heard then? And does the emphasis on physical accuracy (even to the point of William McInnes having one crossed eye) act against our involvement with the film? 3 Discuss some other ways that the messages and ideas and themes of Curtin could have been achieved cinematically. 4 The writers have a challenge in Curtin: to provide rich information in a very brief way. One example of this is to address the question: if Curtin was not a participant in World War One, and in fact opposed conscription, what moral right did he have to send other men to war this time? Look at the scene where Curtin visits the War Memorial and speaks about his mate and discuss what the writers have achieved here. Try to identify other scenes that you think are rich in significance and meaning in the film.
SCREEN EDUCATION 16 After 1942 Curtin What happened after the events in the film?
1943 The path that the war would take for the remainder of the conflict was now largely set in the A ‘balanced Pacific. The big battles had been won, the enemy was in retreat, there was a long and difficult period war effort’ of ‘mopping up’ and consolidation, though this would still involve severe fighting against the Japanese for whom surrender was unthinkable and shameful. In Europe, the emphasis was on building up strength for the invasion of Europe, while battering the Germans in the industrial centres of Germany itself and the occupied countries. In Australia, the emphasis was moved from an ‘All in’ approach to a ‘Balanced War Effort’, which involved transferring some men from the fighting forces back to industry and production.
1944 The main operations for Australians in 1944 and 1945 were in New Guinea and Borneo, and in the New Guinea skies of Europe. The Pacific campaigns are very controversial: were they unnecessary battles, with and Borneo Australian lives lost needlessly, when they could have just cut off the Japanese and starved them out? In New Guinea it could be argued that they were necessary, because they helped the locals re-establish their lives more quickly. They also built up Australia’s claim for a share in the peace settlement. It has been argued that the campaigns were ‘gaining added value from the blood shed by the troops in NG earlier’. There seems to be less justification for the Borneo battles, which were more a part of MacArthur’s plan to help promote MacArthur.
1945 With Germany surrendering on 8 May 1945, the focus switched to defeating the Japanese. The Peace Americans used a strategy of ‘island hopping’ – attacking a Japanese stronghold, securing the beach area for the landing of supplies, driving the Japanese into an isolated area, then leaving troops and fire power to ‘mop up’ the enemy while the next island was taken. Finally, the Americans were able to set up airfields on islands near the Japanese home islands, and to start a campaign of bombing Japan’s major cities. The final act was to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima on 6 August, and Nagasaki on 9 August. On 15 August the Japanese surrendered. There is controversy about the dropping of these bombs – was it justified? Supporters argue that the Japanese were ready to fight to the last man, woman and child, and that casualties would have been greater by normal battle or a blockade than from the atomic bombs. American troop casualties were also prevented. It is also possible that virtually every Allied prisoner of war in Japan would have been murdered before Japan surrendered. Opponents of the bombing argue that Japan would have surrendered if the Japanese had known that the position of the Emperor would have been maintained, and that the bombs were dropped both to test their effects, and to stop Russia from entering the war and getting a part of Japanese territory as a post-war reward.
1 How might any of these events add to or detract from the image of Curtin the saviour that is created in Curtin? 2 Some historians now challenge the idea that Australia was ever likely to be invaded. Look at http://www.awm.gov. au/events/conference/2002/stanley_paper.pdf to start exploring this debate further. 3 One author has written a book suggesting that Curtin was actually looking to make a secret treaty with Japan that would have guaranteed Australia’s safety in the war. To explore this further go to http://john.curtin.edu.au/events/ speeches/wurth.html 4 One way of studying the period is to look at cartoons from the time. However, cartoons are created in a very specific context, and often need a lot of interpretation.
SCREEN EDUCATION 17 Curtin
Here is a way of breaking cartoons down into separate segments so that all details and elements in the cartoon can be focused on separately. One example is done for a cartoon, and then you will be able to carry out this process for a number of other cartoons. Cartoon analysis: The Fall of Singapore From ‘Cartoon PD in a Package’ by Liz McGinnis, Meredith Wright, Jan Bishop and Rosslyn Marshall, published online by the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library, 2004, published online at http://john.curtin.edu.au/education/cartoonpd/ ‘Singapore 1942’ cartoon by Peter Dent. Courtesy Peter Dent SHEET 1 1 What date is the cartoon refering to? 2 Who is the cartoonist? The name of the cartoonist may or may not have significance.
sheet 2 1 Who is the man in the boat? 2 How do we know? 3 Where has he come from? 4 Where is the boat? 5 What is happening to the boat? 6 What is the man’s reaction to this?
SCREEN EDUCATION 18 Curtin
SHEET 3 1 What are the new elements? 2 What do they stand for or represent? 3 What information do they add about the situation?
sheet 4 1 Who is in the new boat? 2 How do we know? 3 What is he doing?
SCREEN EDUCATION 19 Curtin
SHEET 5 1 What is the meaning of the leak? 2 How does this change the meaning of the boat? 3 Does it change the meaning or significance of each man? 4 What is the message of the cartoon? 5 Why was it drawn? 6 Whose opinion or viewpoint does it represent? 7 Who would have disagreed with it and why? 8 What does it have to do with the filmCurtin ?
Here are instructions on how you can create a sequence like this, and some cartoons to work on. The instructions have been written for teachers, but you can use them for yourself. How to Scaffold a Cartoon: A step-by-step approach
1 Select a cartoon appropriate for the history topic you are teaching. 2 Test that it photocopies clearly onto an overhead transparency. You are looking to see that it is not too dark and that the main elements of the cartoon can be easily seen by students. 3 Work out the three or four symbols/drawings that will be presented to the students so they can build up the message of the cartoon. 4 In font size fourteen or sixteen, type the date, place of publication of the cartoon and the caption with any related dialogue. 5 Sheet 1: Cut out the central drawings in the cartoon to leave the frame edge and the cartoonist’s signature. Back this with a sheet of A4 white paper and underneath the frame place the typed date and place of publication with invisible scotch tape. Photocopy this once, and after checking it for reproduction quality, make a transparency. 6 Sheet 2: Select one major symbol or drawing. Cut it out from the complete cartoon minus the frame and cartoonist signature you cut for sheet 1. Place this cutout with invisible tape in the correct spot in the cartoon’s frame. Photocopy this once and, after checking it for reproduction, make a transparency. 7 Sheet 3: Select another major symbol or drawing. Cut it out from the complete cartoon minus the frame and cartoonist’s signature you cut for sheet 1. Place the next symbol with invisible tape in the correct spot in the cartoon frame. Photocopy this once and, after checking it for reproduction, make a transparency. 8 Sheet 4: Repeat the previous step until all the symbols/drawings are made into transparencies. When adding the last symbol/drawing, also add the caption and any related dialogue to the bottom of the frame.Note: if you have access to a scanner and imaging software such as Adobe Photoshop, the above steps can be done on the computer and your sheets can be printed out for copying onto transparencies. 9 Write the questions you will ask the students as you present the transparencies and some extension questions if needed. http://john.curtin.edu.au/education/cartoonpd/CartoonPD-Section2-Scaffold.pdf
SCREEN EDUCATION 20 Curtin Here are three cartoons that you can prepare for your classmates in a similar way: A B
Curtin: ‘No offence, mum, but I’m shifting to these here apron strings – at least for twenty-four hours.’ ‘Is that so?’ Cartoon by John Frith. Cartoon by William Mahony. The Bulletin, 31 December 1941. Courtesy Frith family. Daily Telegraph, 1942. http://john.curtin.edu.au/artofthepossible/touringex/ graphics/apronstringscartoon.jpg
C ‘Long distance thinking’ Cartoon by William Mahony. Daily Telegraph, 1942.
SCREEN EDUCATION 21 Curtin
FURTHER INFORMATION
An excellent resource on John Curtin is the special website at http://john.curtin.edu.au A good account of the events covered in Curtin is in History Today volume 38 issue 2 at http://www.historytoday.com Curtin’s ‘Australia looks to America’ broadcast in Curtin was actually a printed article in a Melbourne newspaper. You can see the page at http://john.curtin.edu.au/artofthepossible/ touringex/graphics/taskahead.jpg Other good accounts of Curtin are on the National Archives of Australia’s site at http://www.naa.gov.au/publications/ research_guides/pdf/curtin/curtin.pdf (chapter 2) and http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/
The photographs used in this guide are courtesy of Greg Noakes. ATOM would like to thank the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library for their advice and help.
This study guide was produced by ATOM © ATOM 2007 [email protected]
For more information on Screen Education magazine, or to download other free study guides, visit www.metromagazine.com.au For hundreds of articles on Film as Text, Screen Literacy, Multiliteracy and Media Studies, visit www.theeducationshop.com.au
SCREEN EDUCATION 22