New research shows WWII dominates Australians’ knowledge of military history. But big gaps remain
- Written by: Nicole Townsend, Lecturer in History, UNSW Sydney
Eighty years ago this week, Japan surrendered after nearly four years of war in the Asia-Pacific. For Australia, this meant the end of not only the war in the Pacific, but also the second world war that had begun six years earlier, in September 1939.
In that time, around one million Australians – approximately 15% of the population – served in the armed forces. Over half served overseas, with nearly 40,000 killed and more than 66,000 wounded.
But what do Australians today know about this epochal moment in our history? We surveyed 1,500 Australians aged 18 and older to find out.
Our study
The survey[1] was conducted from late February to early March 2025 as part of our work at the War Studies Research Group[2], with the aim of measuring public understanding of Australian military history.
It covered the major conflicts in which Australians have been involved, from the Frontier Wars[3] and colonial wars through to the more recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We asked a range of questions to determine Australians’ knowledge of and engagement with national military history, how they learn about it, and their opinions on the commemoration of military events today.
Our survey data revealed that between 40% and 70% of respondents (depending on age group) had not formally studied Australian military history. This means it provides a good insight into how the average Australian views the country’s military history.
Australia’s most well-known conflict
Nearly 90% of our respondents were aware of the second world war. Around 80% were also aware that Australians had been involved in the conflict.
There were no significant differences by any demographic.
The first world war was the next most well-known conflict, ahead of the Vietnam War, indicating the dominance of these three conflicts in Australian popular memory.
Most of our respondents (55%) also indicated their desire to learn more about the second world war — and they think Australian schoolchildren should, too. More than two-thirds support its inclusion in the Australian school curriculum.
In this, the second world war is the exception. Respondents were not particularly interested in learning more about other events in Australian military history.
The second world war is also the only conflict for which a majority believe Australian involvement was in the national interest.
Pacific War dominates
Australians served globally during the war, from the Asia-Pacific to the Mediterranean, Europe, and the Middle East. However, our survey confirmed that although our respondents indicated they were aware of the second world war, their knowledge of key events within it varies.
The most well-known event in the Mediterranean was the siege of Tobruk, which was known by approximately 41% of respondents, well ahead of the battle of El Alamein (28%) in second position.
More surprising was the fact that another 42% of our respondents had not heard of any of the listed events. This included the siege of Tobruk, which is a hallmark event in Australian military history.
By contrast, the Pacific was more well-known. Fewer than one in five respondents indicated they had not heard of any listed event from the war in the Pacific.
The top three events in the Pacific were the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (67%), the bombing of Darwin (59%), and the atomic bombings of Japan (57%).
Still, there were some unexpected findings. We expected Kokoda to rank highly, but it ranked outside the top three.
Younger Australians less knowledgeable
A deeper dive into the demographic data, however, highlights stark differences among age cohorts when it comes to what they know about the second world war.
Awareness of events increased consistently in line with respondents’ age. Older Australians are more knowledgeable across the board. This means greater knowledge among those aged 60 and over lifted the overall average response across the board.
Over two-thirds of those aged 60 and over knew of the siege of Tobruk. By contrast, only 23% of those aged 30–39 were aware of the siege. The youngest cohort (18–29) fared only slightly better, with around one-third (31%) aware of Tobruk.
Likewise, around 90% of respondents aged 60 and over knew of the attack on Pearl Harbor, compared to just over half of those aged 18–29. In fact, Pearl Harbor was the only key event from the war that garnered majority recognition among respondents aged 18–49.
Kokoda and the prisoner of war experiences of Changi, the Thai-Burma Railway, and Sandakan were all little known among those aged under 50.
Younger respondents were also at times more than twice as likely not to have heard of any listed event in this theatre.
However, the youngest cohorts were not always the least knowledgeable. For instance, 10% of those aged 18–29 knew of the battle of Milne Bay, compared to only 3% of those aged 40–49.
Australian military history needs to be bolstered
Our survey shows the second world war now dominates Australians’ understanding of their military history. But Australians know little about events outside the Pacific, and knowledge is also significantly decreasing with each generation.
This suggests the need for a stronger focus on the broader narrative of Australia’s involvement in the second world war, especially in school curricula, if this pattern is to be reversed.
It’s important public awareness of these events goes beyond the major events and encompasses diverse perspectives. This will allow future generations to better understand our past and the complexities of war, and its impact on our world today.
References
- ^ survey (www.unsw.edu.au)
- ^ War Studies Research Group (www.unsw.edu.au)
- ^ Frontier Wars (australianfrontierconflicts.com.au)
Authors: Nicole Townsend, Lecturer in History, UNSW Sydney
