The Anzac Resurgence and Its Critics

This chapter explains why Anzac unexpectedly went from a moribund situation in the 1960s to become a ubiquitous feature of everyday life in Australia and New Zealand. I explain this development by Stuart Hall’s concept of culture as a kind of “constant battlefield” with strategic positions always capable of being won and lost. I analyse some recent controversies related to this resurgence and evaluate the thesis Anzac is systematically militarising Australian history and culture. I argue this premise lacks empirical support and is based on an outdated idea of “methodological nationalism”.