Preparing for war - First World War overview

New Zealand's response to the outbreak of war was not only a matter of supporting Mother England but was also a matter of self-interest. New Zealand was dependent on the British market for the sale of the wool, frozen meat and dairy products that dominated its economy. Anything that threatened this market threatened New Zealand's livelihood. New Zealand relied on Britain's naval power to protect its physical integrity and its trade on the long haul to the British market.

Turning boys into soldiers

Ultimately, New Zealand's greatest contribution to the war effort was the supply of 120,000 service personnel, of whom 103,000 served overseas. The foundations of this massive mobilisation had been laid in the years leading up to war through organisations such as the Boy Scouts and through the introduction of compulsory military training in 1909.

Boy Scouts

Preparing boys for war is not something we associate with the modern scouting movement. Robert Baden-Powell, a lieutenant general in the British Army, held the first scouting encampment at Brownsea Island in England in 1907. His principles of scouting, published in Scouting for boys (1908), were based on his earlier military books. It aimed to teach boys 'peaceful citizenship' – moral values, patriotism, discipline and outdoor skills – through games and activities and to produce patriots capable of defending the British Empire.

In 1908 David Cossgrove and his wife Selina received Baden-Powell's permission to organise the Boy Scout movement in New Zealand. Cossgrove had met Baden-Powell while serving in the South African War and was firmly convinced of the value of such a movement for young New Zealanders. He wrote to the leading newspapers in the country explaining the nature of scouting. By the end of 1908 there were 36 Scout troops in New Zealand.

Compulsory military training

Growing international tension meant that there was little opposition to the passing of a new Defence Act in December 1909. This replaced the Volunteer Force with a Territorial Force. It also introduced compulsory military training. All boys aged between 12 and 14 had to undergo 52 hours of physical training each year as Junior Cadets (this was dropped in 1912). This training was supervised by their teachers. Voluntary cadet groups had existed prior to the passage of this new act.