An Extraordinary Allied Nations Summit Meeting. Simulation Game. John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library

An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting Simulation Game John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library Acknowledgements The John Curtin Prime Minis...
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Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting Simulation Game

John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library

Acknowledgements The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library wishes to thank the following for their advice and assistance in the preparation of this simulation game: History Teachers’ Association of Western Australia Joska Reicheldt Helen Wills-Johnson Paul Standen Liz McGuiness

Produced by the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library Curtin University of Technology GPO Box U1987 Perth, Western Australia, 6845. © John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library. Every effort has been made to obtain permission to publish copyright material; if for any reason a request has not been received, the copyright holder should contact the John Curtin Prime Ministrial Library. Layout and design: Wordworx Publishing & Editorial Service

Images from cover: Winston Churchill: JCPML00376/97 John Curtin: JCPML00376/141 Douglas MacArthur: JCPML00265/14

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An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—Simulation Game

Contents Information about the Simulation Game To the Teacher The Setting How to Play Agendum Historical Information Timeline

iv vi vii viii ix xii

Source Documents A Note about Source Documents

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Media

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FELSSW Newsletter, July 2003 (Dent) Daily Telegraph, 1942 (Mahony) The Task Ahead—John Curtin—The Herald (Melbourne) 27 December 1941 Mr Churchill’s Reply to his Critics—The Times (London) 28 January 1942 Headlines on the arrival of General MacArthur in Australia— The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney) 19 March 1942 The West Australian (Perth) 19 March 1942 President’s Message to Mr Curtin—The Times (London) 19 March 1942 The Fall of Rangoon—The Times (London) 20 March 1942 Australia’s Supreme Test—The Australian Worker 9 April 1942 Editorial—The Australian Women’s Weekly 28 March 1942

Correspondence

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Cablegram—Roosevelt to Curtin 20 February 1942 (AA:A5954/1, 611/3) Cablegram—Curtin to Churchill 21 February 1942 (AA: A5954/1, 581/17) Cablegram—Churchill to Curtin 22 February 1942 (AA: 5954/1, 581/17) Cablegram—Curtin to Churchill 23 February 1942 (AA: 5954/1, 581/17) Letter—Miss D Cameron to Curtin 30 January 1942 (AA CRS M1415/6) Letter—Australian Legation in Washington to Curtin 3 April 1942 (AA CRS M1415/43) Letter—Curtin to Captain R K White 11 April 1942 (AA CRS M1415/83) Letter—The Royal Society of St George to Curtin 7 January 1942 (AA CRS M1415/7)

Oral History

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Dr Malcolm McKay (lieutenent in Navy during WWII) JCPML/00126 Col John Buckley (Australian officer during WWII) JCPML/00122 George Paul (union official and member of ALP) JCPML/00121 McLaughlin family (family of Curtin’s private secretary) JCPML/00185 John McNamara (son of a leading member of ALP) JCPML/00125 Mary Brocklebank (stenographer with the War Cabinet) JCPML/00014 Chris Mayor (Moral Re-Armament Movement) JCPML/00124 Frank Davidson (jouranlist) JCPML/00127 James Coulter (journalist) JCPML/00123 An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—Simulation Game

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To the Teacher An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—A Simulation Game uses a wide range of primary and secondary sources from the research collection of the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library (JCPML) to provide students with an exciting and relevant historical experience. An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—A Simulation Game gives students an opportunity to research and role play. In the process, they will be given insights into understanding the events that surrounded Australia’s decision in the 1940s to ‘look to America’. Specifically, An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—A Simulation Game has been designed to relate to senior school history courses across Australia. The Australian nation has been shaped by its international relations. Playing the game gives students opportunities to learn how to: •

respond to historical evidence creatively and critically in order to make meaning of and to reconstruct the past; use a variety of primary and secondary sources from a variety of media; compare and contrast evidence; identify values and beliefs; identify bias, prejudice and motive; recognise the provisional nature of historical judgements; work co-operatively with others and contribute to group activities; demonstrate informed opinions and attitudes relevant to (a) given situation; exercise empathy; and organise and synthesise information.

• • • • • • • • •

Please Note:

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You may choose to use the simulation game for the Oral Assessment in the Western Australian Year 12 History course.



The game has been designed for use with 20 to 30 players.



Students should carry out reading and research PRIOR to undertaking the role play.



To locate additional source materials, encourage your students to visit the JCPML website (http://john.curtin.edu.au).

An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—Simulation Game

Components of the Game To play the game you will need: - Game Information - Source Documents - Role Cards & Special Messages for the Press Gallery & Delegations

Lesson Plan 1.

The section, Information about the Simulation Game should be carefully read to understand how the game works.

2.

Divide the class into four groups (Australia, Britain, USA and Press Gallery).

3.

Distribute role cards among group members and have someone read the Special Message to each group.

4.

Have students read through the Historical Information and Source Documents (it may be necessary to distribute sections of the Source Documents so that each person reads some of the material.)

5.

Encourage group members to discuss the evidence provided in the Source Documents and prepare their responses to each of the resolutions.

6.

Students prepare their delegation’s speech, or, for the Press Gallery, prepare questions to be asked of each delegation.

7.

The three delegations consider how to respond to possible questions from the Press Gallery.

8.

Warm-up and preparation for the simulation game.

9.

Meeting proceeds according to the prepared agendum.

10.

Vote on resolutions.

11.

Debriefing.

An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—Simulation Game

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The Setting An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—A Simulation Game is set at the Victoria Barracks, Melbourne in April 1942. The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill has urged Prime Minister John Curtin to call an urgent Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting between Britain, Australia and the United States to discuss the defence policies of each nation. Churchill is not only concerned that Curtin has challenged him about the deployment of Australian defence forces in the Far East, especially Burma, but also about the apparent shift in Australia’s allegiance from Britain to the USA. Prime Minister Curtin and his staff have drawn up an agendum (see page viii) for the meeting where each country’s delegation is expected to prepare a speech which addresses the following resolutions:

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1.

At this crucial time of the war, Prime Minister Curtin has no choice but to declare Australia’s allegiance to the United States.

2.

It is unreasonable and impractical for Australia to assist the British war effort in Burma.

3.

Australia and other minor powers should be informed of and involved in any future discussions on allied war strategies and appointments.

An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—Simulation Game

How to play the Game The class is divided into FOUR groups of representatives as follows: Australia, Great Britain, USA, and the Press Gallery. Each group should have about an equal number of players. Using the source materials found in the section Source Documents, members of each country’s delegation (NOT the Press Gallery) are to prepare a speech of not more than two pages which defends their country’s position on each of the following resolutions: 1.

At this crucial time of the war, Prime Minister Curtin has no choice but to declare Australia’s allegiance to the United States.

2.

It is unreasonable and impractical for Australia to assist the British war effort in Burma.

3.

Australia and other minor powers (eg, New Zealand, Holland) should be informed of and involved in any future discussions on allied war strategies and appointments.

Members of the Press Gallery are required to ask relevant and probing questions of each delegation at the end of each speech. Therefore, they too need to carefully read through all the Source Documents and prepare their questions before the meeting.

Note: •

Participants in each group need to work together.



Role cards for representatives from each delegation, indicate specific tasks for some group members (e.g. deliver the speech). Not all students will receive a role card.



Speeches will be delivered by Prime Minister Churchill, Prime Minister Curtin and General MacArthur. Other delegation members will be responsible for responding to questions from the Press Gallery or performing other tasks as determined by the group.



Delegates and members of the Press gallery should use materials from Source Documents to assist in planning speeches or, for the Press Gallery, appropriate questions.



You are encouraged to find other source materials to assist in the preparation of your speech or, for the Press Gallery, preparing questions.



The meeting will follow the prepared Agendum (page viii).

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Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting to be held at

Victoria Barracks April 1942

AGENDUM 1.

Welcome.

2.

Presentation by the British Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill.

3.

Questions from the Press Gallery.

4.

Presentation by the Australian Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. John Curtin.

5.

Questions from the Press Gallery.

6.

Presentation by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, South West Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur.

7.

Questions from the Press Gallery.

8.

Vote on Resolutions.

9.

Other Business.

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An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—Simulation Game

Historical Information The War in Europe It is April 1942. The war in Europe has been going on for over two and a half years. Hitler’s troops have invaded most of Western Europe and battles are being waged in the Middle East and Russia against the Axis powers. Fig 1: Axis control of Europe

Japanese Advances Japan entered the war four months ago with the unprovoked attack on the US Naval Fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Since then, the Japanese have had decisive victories along the Eastern Pacific rim through to Malaya and New Guinea which have caused Australia to rethink her defence needs and her allegiances. An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—Simulation Game

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Fig 2:

Japanese control of the Far East, 194

Australian War Effort Traditionally, Australia has assisted Britain in any war effort. Indeed, so far in this war she has sent: •

more than 100,000 men from the 6th, 7th, and 9th Divisions of the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) and Corps troops (approximately the strength of another Division) to the Middle East;



about 18,000 troops from the 8th AIF Division to Malaya and scattered approximately 8,000 troops through the Dutch East Indies and Rabaul, in Papua



more than 10,000 men from the Royal Australian Air Force to Europe; and



ships from the Australian Navy to operational theatres in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

(John Buckley, ‘Australia’s Perilous Year’, Defence Force Journal, No. 72, Sept/Oct 1988, p. 12) x

An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—Simulation Game

However, there is a strong belief in the Australian camp that at this stage of the war it is in Australia’s interests to align more closely with America. This is not only because of the similar defence requirements of the USA and Australia, but also because of the lack of British military resources to assist in the Far East. In addition, there has been a series of alleged military and political blunders by Britain that has led Australia to reconsider her strategic requirements. The most notable blunders, according to the Australian Government, occurred in Greece and in the Far East. In February last year the British Government decided to pre-empt a German strike on Greece by sending an expeditionary force largely made up of Australian troops from the 6th AIF Division, to Greece. These troops fought without air or sea support against the Germans. The final outcome of the Greek campaign was a terrible weakening of the 6th AIF Division.through the loss of lives and the capture of these Australian prisoners of war. The continued appeals to Britain for reinforcements in Malaya and Singapore were answered with empty promises (see Timeline p. xii). More recently, the decision by Churchill to deploy the 6th AIF Division in Burma, again without air and sea support or armaments, has roused the consternation of the Australian Government. This consternation has been expressed in series of cablegrams between Curtin and Churchill which were exchanged in February this year (see ‘Correspondence’ in Source Documents). Allegiances and Alliances There is a solid and friendly alliance between Britain, her Dominions and the United States but—be warned!—this outward appearance of unity and co-operation at times camouflages deeper issues of sovereignty, power and self-interest. There have been secret agreements and decisions made between the USA and Great Britain to which Australia has not been privy (see ‘Correspondence’ in Source Documents). On the other hand, to what extent are Australia’s defence policies inspired by anything more than her own self-interest? And, how real is the Japanese threat to Australia?

An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—Simulation Game

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Timeline 1939-40

Axis gain control over much of Europe.

April 1941

Greece surrenders to Germany.

June 1941

Australia accepts British assurances to send a main battle fleet to the Pacific ‘within 70 days’. (Britain did send extra arms, but not troops.)

August 1941

Britain advises that it would take ‘180 days’ to send a battle fleet to the Pacific, even though Churchill promised that Britain would abandon the Middle East campaign to concentrate the Empire’s forces against the Japanese ‘if Australia was directly threatened’.* Conference aboard HMAS Prince of Wales off New Foundland between Churchill and Roosevelt determines that Germany is the ‘main enemy’. USA and Britain sign the Atlantic Charter.

November 1941

The Deputy Chief of General Staff, General Rowell predicts a Japanese landing on the north coast of New Guinea and seizure of Port Moresby as the first step of an invasion of Australia. The Australian Government responds by recalling General Blamey from the Middle East to be appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Military Forces in Australia.

7 December 1941

Bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese.

December 1941

Churchill suggests that the 6th and 7th AIF Divisions return to the Pacific. At the request of Churchill, the 9th AIF Division would remain in the Middle East. Roosevelt promises a US Division in replacement, making a total of two US Divisions to be deployed to Australia. (Began arriving in April 1942 in Victoria and South Australia. They would not be combat-ready until Oct 1942).

* In the early months of 1942, ‘seriously threatened’ was defined as an 8-10 division-sized Japanese invasion of Australia.

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An Extraordinary Allied Nations’ Summit Meeting—Simulation Game

December 1941

The AMF (militia) expanded to reach 130,000 but had equipment for only 70,000.

mid-December 1941

Joint US-British decision to allocate South West Pacific as US command area.

23 December 1941

The US asks the Australian Ambassador in Washington (Casey) for the Australian government to invite the US to assign an American Commander to the SW Pacific area. Australia responds immediately and asks for General Brett (already in Australia as commander of US forces) to be appointed on 4 March 1942. Brett is unacceptable to the American general staff and they appoint General Douglas MacArthur. (Australia is advised of this decision a few weeks later—in fact, only the day before MacArthur landed in Australia.)

27 December 1941

Curtin’s article ‘The Task Ahead’, published in the press.

15 February 1942

Fall of Singapore.

19 February 1942

Bombing of Darwin.

20 February 1942

Telegram sent by Roosevelt to Curtin regarding Australian support of British in Burma.

21-23 February 1942

‘Cablegram War’ between Curtin and Churchill regarding the deployment of AIF troops to Rangoon.

18 March 1942

Arrival of General MacArthur in Australia.

7 May 1942

Battle of Coral Sea.

4 June 1942

Battle of Midway.

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