5
© www.roydonng.com © www.roydonng.com How did the Australian government respond to the threat of communism after WW2? Year 10 History Roydon Ng Due Date: 4 March 2010
© www.roydonng.com
© www.roydonng.com
How did the Australian
government respond to the
threat of communism after
WW2? Year 10 History
Roydon Ng
Due Date: 4 March 2010
Roydon Ng 1 © www.roydonng.com
The end of World War 2 saw the advances of Communism. Could Australia have been under
imminent risk or was communism used as a political device? With the end of the Second World
War, Australia and many emerging nations were tied or bound to either capitalism of the West or
the ideologies of communism in the East. Wanting to draw the line (Appendix, Picture 1) against so
called communist aggression, the Australian government made the containment of communism a
key foreign policy.(Online, John Wiley & Sons, 2010)
As soon as the Cold War began in 1945, it was apparent that Australia would not be immune from
the supposed fears of communism (Appendix, Picture 2). Every Australian at the time was affected
by this new style of society, resulting in confusion and misunderstandings. During the course of the
Cold War, over 5,000 military personnel were involved in defending our shorelines from the grasp of
the communist web (Appendix, Picture 3).
As an overreaction to the paranoia caused by the Soviet Union in the late 1940s, many media
newsreels frequently demonised communism. Public opinion at the time showed that although it
was rumoured that communist activists and the Communist Party of Australia had taken a firm hold
of trade union positions, the general public did not find the outlawing of the Communist party
necessary. Prime Minister Robert Menzies’ calls for an uplifting response fell on deaf ears and the
referendum to ban the Communist party in 1951 was voted down mainly in the Eastern States
(Appendix, Picture 4). The ‘no’ vote totalled 2,370,009 whilst those supportive of the Communist
Party Dissolution Bill numbered 2,317,927. (Anderson, RetroActive2, P. 163) Many trade unions and
the Labor Party campaigned against the referendum as they believed that by removing certain
political parties, it would be no different than the attitudes of Soviet communism.
Even though some had personal reasons of whether communism was really an imminent threat to
Australian freedoms, society’s newly formed opinions were imposed on them. Newsreels were
frequently churning anti-communist propaganda and with the Menzies government standing for re-
election in 1954, the prime minister needed any excuse to recover the deficits in the opinion polls.
With federal parliament drawing to a close, the prime minister stunned the nation by declaring that
the third secretary from the Soviet embassy, Vladimir Petrov’s application for political asylum had
been approved. (Anderson, p. 164).
Australia was now in the hands of an espionage epic, with the Menzies government ordering a royal
commission to investigate Soviet spy activity within Australia stemming from trade unions and
communist sympathisers within the opposition Labor party. This move proved highly effective not
against communism in Australia but rather against the Labor party under the leadership of Dr
Herbert Evatt. The findings of the royal commission reported that the Soviet spying had occurred
from its embassy without Labor involvement. In the process of such politics, Mrs Petrov was
abducted and forcibly escorted onto an aeroplane by two Soviet officials in the midst of 3000
bystanders at Sydney airport. A distressed Mrs Petrov managed to inform a stewardess which
alerted Australian police whom secured the release of Mrs Petrov from the gun yielding Soviet
guards.
The Petrovs were seen as Cold War allies and provided strong propaganda against communism.
Since the Petrov affair did not quell the fears of communism and prolonged its hallmark on
Australian politics, the Australian government continued to see communism as a major and formed
Roydon Ng 2 © www.roydonng.com
the ANZUS agreement with the United States and New Zealand in order to protect each other in the
event of communist attack. (Anderson, RetroActive2, P. 166)
The SEATO Treaty of 1954 was also drawn up as a measure to contain communism in the Asia-Pacific
region. The nations of Britain, France, Thailand, South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Australia, New
Zealand and the United States were involved in the bipartisan security arrangements to support the
battle against communism. Conscription was re-introduced as shortly before the United Nations
force lead by the United States, involving Australia demonstrated our relationship with the
Americans sent troops to Korea. Mothers did not want to send their sons to die and formed the Save
Our Sons organisation (Appendix, Picture 5), but the families of the servicemen already at war
wanted to introduce conscription to support their loved ones already serving overseas. Over 300
Australian soldiers sacrificed their lives to halt the communist advancement on the Korean
peninsular. (Korean War, AWM, 2010) The Korean War of 1950 saw Australia’s involvement in the
struggle to confront communism take a decisive turn.
The Australian government was heavily criticised for it role in the politics behind the Vietnam War,
with no official invitation or request for assistance from the South Vietnamese, the Menzies
government took it upon themselves and the United States to invade Vietnam in order to protect it
from the northern communists. Australia as part of SEATO first sent 30 military advisers to South
Vietnam followed by thousands of troops.
The Australian government like many other western nations saw the split of Vietnam as a threat to
global stability. There was a large western military presence in the former Indochina. However,
Saigon and the South Vietnam were succumbing to the determined North Vietnamese communists
led by Ho Chin Minh. According to Anderson (2005, p.173), in 1975, the South Vietnamese
government surrendered and the longest war of the twentieth century ended. (Anderson,
RetroActive2, P.173) The protesters wanted an immediate, total and unconditional withdraw from
Indochina and the abolishing of conscription. (Anderson, RetroActive2, P.172) Deep resentment
within the Australian population saw massive demonstrations against conscription and the war.
Australian politics within the Vietnam War era was long, fraudulent and lively as both ideologies
fought for the hearts and minds of the people of which they claimed would benefit most. Debates
are often heated encounters with only one victor. The Soviet Union and the United States, two of
the world’s most powerful powers representing two powerful ideologies came head to head in the
Cold War. Even though hostilities were at boiling point, neither side was involved in direct
confrontation. The threats of one being dominant over the other caused much debate which lead to
two Asian ground wars, the space race and the near destruction of a superpower. Today many
people are uneasy about this delicate subject of whether attitudes from the east of the Iron curtain
or western style freedoms should control the world.
Essay Text Word Count: 1067
© www.roydonng.com
APPENDIX
• Pictures
1. Source 6.1.2, RetroActive2, P. 160
2. Source 6.1.3, RetroActive2, P. 161
3. Source 6.1.1, RetroActive2, P. 160
4. Source 6.2.2, RetroActive2, P. 162
5. Source 6.6.2, RetroActive2, P. 171
6. Source 6.3.2, RetroActive 2, P. 165
© w
ww
.ro
ydo
nn
g.c
om
Bib
lio
gra
ph
y
Bo
ok
s
An
de
rso
n,
Ma
ure
en
. (2
00
5).
Re
tro
Act
ive
2,
Jaca
ran
da
, A
ust
ralia
Ch
ish
olm
, Ja
ne
. (2
00
0).
Tim
elin
es
of
Wo
rld
His
tory
, U
sbo
rne
, Lo
nd
on
Ko
ch,
Ch
rist
op
he
r J.
(1
99
5).
Hig
hw
ays
to
a W
ar,
Min
erv
a,
Au
stra
lia
CD
-RO
M
“AN
ZU
S p
act
19
51
”, W
eb
ste
r’s
Wo
rld
En
cycl
op
ae
dia
(1
99
8)
(CD
-RO
M).
We
bst
er
Pu
blish
ing
,
Au
stra
lia
“Ca
pit
alism
”, W
eb
ste
r’s
Wo
rld
En
cycl
op
ae
dia
(1
99
8)
(CD
-RO
M).
We
bst
er
Pu
blish
ing
, A
ust
ralia
“Co
mm
un
ism
”, W
eb
ste
r’s
Wo
rld
En
cycl
op
ae
dia
(1
99
8)
(CD
-RO
M).
We
bst
er
Pu
blish
ing
, A
ust
ralia
“Co
mm
un
ists
Ta
ke
Vie
tna
m (
19
75
)”,
We
bst
er’
s W
orl
d E
ncy
clo
pa
ed
ia (
19
98
) (C
D-R
OM
). W
eb
ste
r
Pu
blis
hin
g,
Au
stra
lia
“Ko
rea
n w
ar
19
50
-53
”, W
eb
ste
r’s
Wo
rld
En
cycl
op
ae
dia
(1
99
8)
(CD
-RO
M).
We
bst
er
Pu
blish
ing
,
Au
stra
lia
“Pe
tro
v a
ffa
ir”,
We
bst
er’
s W
orl
d E
ncy
clo
pa
ed
ia (
19
98
) (C
D-R
OM
). W
eb
ste
r P
ub
lish
ing
, A
ust
ralia
“So
uth
Ea
st A
sia
Tre
aty
Org
an
iza
tio
n (
19
98
) (S
EA
TO
)”,
We
bst
er’
s W
orl
d E
ncy
clo
pa
ed
ia (
CD
-RO
M).
We
bst
er
Pu
blish
ing
, A
ust
ralia
“Th
e K
ore
an
Wa
r”,
Ne
w G
rolie
r M
ult
ime
dia
En
cycl
op
ae
dia
Lib
rary
6 (
19
92
) (C
D-R
OM
). N
ew
Gro
lie
r,
US
A
“Vie
tna
m W
ar”
, W
eb
ste
r’s
Wo
rld
En
cycl
op
ae
dia
(1
99
8)
(CD
-RO
M).
We
bst
er
Pu
blish
ing
, A
ust
ralia
Vid
eo
Th
e K
ore
an
Wa
r. (
19
92
) (C
om
pu
ter
Vid
eo
). U
SA
, N
GM
EL
Th
e V
ietn
am
Wa
r. (
19
92
) (C
om
pu
ter
Vid
eo
). U
SA
, N
GM
EL
Th
e V
ietn
am
Wa
r. (
20
06
). (
Co
mp
ute
r V
ide
o).
Au
stra
lia
, V
EA
On
lin
e A
rtic
les
Au
stra
lia
n L
ab
or
His
tory
: M
en
zie
s' a
tte
mp
t to
ba
n t
he
Co
mm
un
ist
Pa
rty
(O
nlin
e).
(2
00
7).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
, h
ttp
://w
ww
.sa
.org
.au
/ma
g-a
rch
ive
-fro
m-o
ld-w
eb
site
/10
2-e
dit
ion
-72
/78
6-a
ust
ralia
n-l
ab
or-
his
tory
-me
nzi
es-
att
em
pt-
to-b
an
-th
e-c
om
mu
nis
t-p
art
y
AN
ZU
S (
On
lin
e).
(N
/A).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
,
htt
p:/
/ww
w.a
nza
sa.a
rts.
usy
d.e
du
.au
/ah
as/
an
zus_
ov
erv
iew
.htm
l
Au
stra
lia
n,
an
d A
ust
ralia
n g
ov
ern
me
nt,
re
act
ion
s (O
nlin
e).
(N
/A).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
,
htt
p:/
/ep
ress
.an
u.e
du
.au
/ou
l/m
ob
ile
_d
ev
ice
s/a
r02
.htm
l
Au
stra
lia
's r
esp
on
ses
to t
he
th
rea
t o
f co
mm
un
ism
: in
tern
ati
on
al
(On
lin
e).
(2
01
0).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
,
htt
p:/
/ww
w.s
kw
irk
.co
m.a
u/p
-t_
s-1
4_
u-1
16
_t-
31
3/a
ust
ralia
-s-r
esp
on
ses-
to-t
he
-th
rea
t-o
f-
com
mu
nis
m-i
nte
rna
tio
na
l/n
sw/h
isto
ry/a
ust
ralia
-in
-th
e-v
ietn
am
-wa
r-e
ra
Co
ld w
ar
Au
stra
lia
- c
om
mu
nis
t p
art
y b
an
(O
nlin
e).
(2
01
0).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
,
htt
p:/
/ho
me
.alp
ha
lin
k.c
om
.au
/~lo
ge
27
/sb
ord
er/
cold
_w
ar_
au
s.h
tm
Ko
rea
(O
nlin
e).
(2
01
0).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
, h
ttp
://w
ww
.aw
m.g
ov
.au
/exh
ibit
ion
s/k
ore
a/
Ko
rea
n W
ar
19
50
–5
3 (
On
lin
e).
(2
01
0).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
,
htt
p:/
/ww
w.a
wm
.go
v.a
u/a
twa
r/in
de
x/k
ore
a.a
sp
Lea
d u
p t
o t
he
Wa
r (O
nlin
e).
(2
01
0).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
, h
ttp
://w
ww
.skw
irk
.co
m.a
u/p
-c_
s-1
4%
20
_u
-
11
6_
t-3
13
_c-
10
56
/th
e-k
ore
an
-wa
r/n
sw/h
isto
ry/a
ust
rali
a-i
n-t
he
-vie
tna
m-w
ar-
era
/au
stra
lia
%2
7s-
resp
on
ses-
to-t
he
-th
rea
t-o
f-co
mm
un
ism
:-in
tern
ati
on
al
Th
e C
om
mu
nis
t P
art
y i
n A
ust
ralia
n l
ife
(O
nli
ne
). (
20
10
). F
eb
rua
ry 2
01
0,
htt
p:/
/me
mb
ers
.op
tusn
et.
com
.au
/sp
ain
ter/
Co
nri
ck.h
tml
Th
e P
etr
ov
Aff
air
, 1
95
4 (
On
lin
e).
(2
01
0).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
, h
ttp
://w
ww
.skw
irk
.co
m.a
u/p
-c_
s-1
4_
u-
11
6_
t-3
12
_c-
10
55
/nsw
/his
tory
/au
stra
lia
-in
-th
e-v
ietn
am
-wa
r-e
ra/a
ust
ralia
-s-r
esp
on
ses-
to-t
he
-
thre
at-
of-
com
mu
nis
m-d
om
est
ic/t
he
-pe
tro
v-a
ffa
ir-1
95
4
Th
e A
NZ
US
Tre
aty
an
d S
EA
TO
Allia
nce
(O
nlin
e).
(2
01
0).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
,
htt
p:/
/ww
w.s
kw
irk
.co
m.a
u/p
-c_
s-1
4_
u-1
16
_t-
31
3_
c-1
05
7/n
sw/h
isto
ry/a
ust
ralia
-in
-th
e-v
ietn
am
-
wa
r-e
ra/a
ust
ralia
-s-r
esp
on
ses-
to-t
he
-th
rea
t-o
f-co
mm
un
ism
-in
tern
ati
on
al/
the
-an
zus-
tre
aty
-an
d-
sea
to-a
llia
nce
Vie
tna
m W
ar
19
62
–7
5 (
On
lin
e).
(2
01
0).
Fe
bru
ary
20
10
,
htt
p:/
/ww
w.a
wm
.go
v.a
u/a
twa
r/in
de
x/v
ietn
am
.asp
CO
PY
RIG
HT
© 2
01
0,
ALL
RIG
HT
S R
ES
ER
VE
D,
RO
YD
ON
NG
We
bsi
te:
ww
w.r
oy
do
n-w
ork
.we
bs.
com
