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The Great Emu War of 1932 — When Birds Outsmarted the Army In late 1932, Australia faced an unusual “enemy” — a massive population of emus. After World War I, many soldiers became farmers in Western Australia, but when the Great Depression hit, food shortages worsened. Then came the emus — around 20,000 of them — migrating inland in search of food and destroying crops. The government deployed soldiers armed with machine guns to control the birds, in what became known as the “Great Emu War.” But the emus proved incredibly resilient and fast, often scattering before the soldiers could aim. The campaign lasted a month and, despite expending thousands of rounds of ammunition, the army declared defeat. The emus had won.

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