Date of Award

5-6-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

History

First Advisor

Greg Moore

Second Advisor

Ian Fletcher

Third Advisor

Joe Perry

Fourth Advisor

Masako Racel

Abstract

The First World War was, and is, a seminal event in history. From August 1914 to November 1918, and beyond, history played an important role in discursive battles in Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. This dissertation examines historical discourses between advocates of mainstream and alternative histories in Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand around five key issues— the origins of the war, conscription, rumors of peace, women’s suffrage, and the peace itself—in the First World War. In addition to demonstrating history’s staying power during an unprecedented war, this dissertation will argue that in some of the historical discourse, specifically conscription, women’s suffrage, and the peace treaty, a slight separation between Britain and the Dominions became noticeable. This separation did not signal a break between the metropole and peripheries, but it did suggest that the experiences of the First World War put the Dominions on a different historical path than Britain.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/36946519

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