Australian society mobilized very well for war during World War II. However, this has led to both positive and negative experiences for Australians. Mobilization for war involved preparing the nation to defend itself against attack, ensuring that it could retaliate against the enemy, and organizing the country's resources and industries (T Taylor 2009). For Australia during the Second World War this meant mobilization of the economy, society and the military. World War II began on September 3, 1939, when Britain and France declared war on Germany after the invasion of Poland two days before. Australia entered the war on the same day in support of its mother country, Great Britain. For Australians on the home front, daily life remained relatively unchanged during the early years of the war. The troops were fighting in a “European conflict” (Taylor, 2009: 184) and there was no real threat of the battle reaching Australian soil. When Japan entered the war in December 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the threat to Australia increased significantly. Newly elected Prime Minister John Curtin immediately began mobilizing Australia for war, beginning with the National Security Act (1941), which overrode the constitution and gave him the power to make laws and regulations. The government introduced numerous controls to ensure that Australia's society, military and economy were ready for war. Australia experienced its first attack on its territory in February 1942, when Japan bombed Darwin. The mobilization of the Australian economy during the Second World War involved the Manpower Directorate, the implementation of rationing and the austerity campaign. With hundreds of thousands of civilians joining the service, Australia faced the problem of lack of work ... middle of paper ...... and most people were separated from their families. At first, interned foreigners were housed in prisons, but these quickly became too small. When Japan entered the war, many Japanese were also interned. Another negative experience of the war was the shortage of food and daily essentials. Rationing was introduced and it was very difficult for people to prepare a nutritious meal for their family. As nearly a million Australians joined the service, many families found themselves disorganized and fearful (JK Mason). In conclusion, Australian society mobilized very well for war during World War II. The government took numerous measures, which resulted in effective mobilization. Australia was organized and ready to attack, defend and keep its economy afloat. Mobilization has led to some negative experiences but overall the majority of experiences have been positive..