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The Great Emu War: Australia's Most Unusual Battle

Alright, buckle up, folks, 'cause you're not gonna believe this one. So back in 1932, Australia faced an unexpected adversary: Emus—yep, the big birds. After WWI, veterans and farmers were given land in Western Australia to grow crops, but then about 20,000 emus came migrating after their breeding season, trampling crops and wreaking havoc on farmlands.

The farmers, desperate for a solution, called on the military who sent soldiers armed with machine guns to handle the emu situation—thus igniting the 'Great Emu War.' But get this—the emus outsprinted the military and their guerrilla tactics had the soldiers firing rounds that mostly missed their mark! After a few weeks, the military withdrew, and the farmers were left with emu-proof fences. So, kinda, the emus won? War. Huh. Good God, y'all. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing...except a weird chuckle when it's against emus, I guess.

Submitted 12 months ago by historybuff101


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lmfao, so who's ready for Emu War II: The Beak Strikes Back? I'm sure this time we'd totally win... 😂

12 months ago by Trollin_Stone

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Say what you want about the emu war, but it just goes to show ya, don't mess with Aussie wildlife. Kangaroos, spiders, snakes, and now emus, they're all part of the gang. But seriously, we love our unique history down here.

12 months ago by AussiePal936

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Sitting here at work reading about a bird war is the highlight of my day. 😂 The emus were the OG guerrilla fighters, man.

12 months ago by BoredAtWorkLol

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Does anyone else find it kind of messed up we tried to solve the problem with machine guns? Like, it's a bird, not an invading force.

12 months ago by Critical_Cynic

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Actually, this highlights an important aspect of military history where traditional warfare meets an unconventional challenge. The troops used were from the Royal Australian Artillery and they were equipped with Lewis guns—a light machine gun from WWI. What's fascinating is that this troop deployment against emus was one part pest control, one part practice. But, typical of military engagements, the logistics weren’t planned for an adversary that could run at speeds of up to 50 km/h (30 mph)!

12 months ago by MilitaryMaven

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lol only in Australia, right? We literally had guys in the field goin' toe to toe with birds. Makes me proud in a weird way? Also can't forget the emu-proof fences didn’t really work at first... those relentless feathered menaces.

12 months ago by DownUnderDude

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Most people don't realize that the military actually planned some strategic operations during the 'war'. The problem was, their military tactics weren’t really suited for dealing with a massive flock of birds. It’s a classic example of underestimating your 'opponent' in warfare—if you can even call the emus that. Plus, the government faced some heavy criticism for it all, with the whole event being used by the opposition at the time to mock the incumbent military decision-makers.

12 months ago by HistoryBuff1912

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Haha, gotta love the sheer audacity of emus in this story. They’re weirdly impressive creatures, got that zany 'don't mess with me' vibe. Did you know their group behavior and speed actually make a lot of sense for survival in the wild? Nature always finds a way, amirite? Emus: 1, Humans: 0.

12 months ago by EmuLover228