The articles in this themed edition ‘The War that Didn’t End All Wars’ look behind the government-driven narrative of war and national identity. They analyse and challenge characterisations of the war as a unifying force that helped forge a nation. They question an Australian triumphalism that exaggerates the role of Australians and ignores the contribution of our allies. Some authors are critical of the ‘militarisation of Australian history’ which they argue sees the important achievements of civil society being ignored while a searchlight is directed to military achievements. Some question the validity of the large amounts spent on commemorations of World War I, some of it overseas, expenditure amounting to half a billion dollars spent so far. This is to be supplemented by the just-announced half a billion dollars for a major extension to the Australian War Memorial which critics fear will include elements that will undermine part of the original purpose of the War Memorial.