Test 7 Prep

• Australian federal election

  1949
• 1949 Australian federal election

  • Marked a significant shift as Robert Menzies' Liberal-Country Coalition won against Ben Chifley's Labor Party
  • Central to this victory was the growing fear of communism
  • The Coalition capitalised on public anxiety about the spread of communism internationally and within Australia, promising to combat communist influence more effectively than the incumbent government
• Communist Party Dissolution Bill

  1950
• Communist Party Dissolution Bill

  1. Introduced by the Menzies government to ban the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) and its affiliated organizations

  2. Passed through Parliament

  3. Challenged in the High Court, which declared it unconstitutional in March 1951

  4. Government called for a referendum to amend the constitution to allow the ban, but this was narrowly defeated in September 1951
• Formation of Alliances

  1. ANZUS (1951): A security treaty between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, emphasizing mutual defense and cooperation against potential communist aggression in the Pacific

  2. SEATO (1954): The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization was established to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, aligning Australia with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and several Southeast Asian countries

  3. Colombo Plan (1950): Focused on economic and social development in Asia, this plan was part of Australia's broader strategy to counter communist influence by promoting stability and prosperity in the region
• The Petrov Affair

  1954
• The Petrov Affair


  • A major Cold War espionage incident involving the defection of Vladimir Petrov, a Soviet diplomat in Australia, and his wife
  • Revealed extensive Soviet espionage activities in Australia, fueling anti-communist sentiment
  • Significantly impacted the 1954 federal election
  • Led to a split within the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1955, when anti-communist elements broke away to form the Democratic Labor Party (DLP), which played a crucial role in keeping the Coalition in power for many years
• Major Theories Associated with the Fear of Communism

  • Forward Defence: This policy aimed to confront communist threats as far from Australian shores as possible, involving military engagements in regional conflicts like the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War
  • Domino Theory: The belief that if one country in a region fell to communism, others would follow like a row of dominoes. This theory justified Australia's involvement in Vietnam and other regional conflicts
  • Regional Security: Ensuring the stability and security of Southeast Asia was seen as essential to prevent the spread of communism, leading to alliances like SEATO and economic aid programs like the Colombo Plan
  • Great and Powerful Friends: Australia's strategic alignment with powerful allies, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom, was based on the belief that such alliances would offer protection against communist threats
• Australia's fear of communism significantly shaped its domestic and foreign policies from the late 1940s through the 1950s
• Federal election in Australia

  1949
• 1949 federal election

  • Marked a pivotal moment in Australia's political landscape
  • Heavily influenced by the fear of communism
  • Liberal-Country Coalition, led by Robert Menzies, capitalized on public anxiety about the spread of communism
  • Menzies' platform promised to combat communist influence more effectively than the incumbent Labor government under Ben Chifley
  • Election results underscored the growing anti-communist sentiment in Australia and set the stage for subsequent policies aimed at curbing communist activities
• Communist Party Dissolution Bill introduced

  1950
• Communist Party Dissolution Bill


  1. Sought to ban the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) and its affiliated organisations

  2. Passed through Parliament

  3. Challenged in the High Court, which declared it unconstitutional in March 1951

  4. Government proposed a referendum to amend the constitution, allowing the ban

  5. Referendum was narrowly defeated in September 1951
• Petrov Affair

  1954
• Petrov Affair


  • Significant Cold War espionage incident
  • Heightened anti-communist sentiment in Australia
  • Influenced the 1954 federal election
  • Exacerbated divisions within the Australian Labor Party (ALP)
• Democratic Labor Party (DLP) formed


  1955
• Democratic Labor Party (DLP)


  • Formed by anti-communist elements within the ALP
  • Played a crucial role in keeping the Liberal-Country Coalition in power for many years by directing preferences away from Labor
• Australian policies of forward defence

  • Involved engaging in regional conflicts to prevent communist expansion before it could threaten Australia directly
  • Saw Australian military involvement in conflicts such as the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War
• Concept of "great and powerful friends"


  • Reflected Australia's strategy of aligning closely with powerful allies, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom
  • Alliances were seen as essential for national security and for countering the threat of communism
  • Formation of the ANZUS treaty with the US and New Zealand and participation in the SEATO alliance were manifestations of this strategy, reinforcing Australia's commitment to regional security and collective defence against communist influence
• Australia's fear of communism significantly shaped its domestic and foreign policies during the mid-20th century
• Australia's Fear of Communism

  Heightened by the fall of China to communism in 1949 under Mao Zedong, which shifted the geopolitical landscape and was perceived as a direct threat to regional stability
• Australia's fear of communism


  Played a significant role in shaping Australia's foreign policy towards a more active and interventionist stance in regional affairs
• Malayan Emergency (1948-1960)


  • A direct response to the communist insurgency led by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP)
  • Australia supported British efforts to quell the insurgency by providing military assistance, including troops, aircraft, and logistical support
  • Seen as a crucial front in the fight against communism in Southeast Asia
  • Demonstrated Australia's commitment to the policy of forward defence, aiming to prevent the spread of communism closer to its borders by engaging in regional conflicts
• Korean War (1950-1953)


  • Australia's participation was driven by the domino theory, which posited that the fall of one country to communism would lead to the spread of communism to neighbouring countries
  • Reinforced Australia's commitment to combating communism on a global scale and solidified its alliance with the United States
• ANZUS (1951)


  The Australia, New Zealand, and United States Security Treaty was established as a mutual defense pact to counter the perceived threat of communist aggression in the Pacific region<|>Underscored the importance of strong military alliances in Australia's foreign policy, reflecting the need for security guarantees from powerful allies
• SEATO (1954)


  The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization was created to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia<|>Australia collaborated with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and several Southeast Asian countries<|>Facilitated coordinated military and economic efforts to contain communism, aligning with Australia's forward defence strategy
• Colombo Plan (1950)


  An initiative focused on economic and social development in Asia to counteract communist influence by promoting stability and prosperity<|>Australia's participation demonstrated its commitment to a broader strategy of regional security through development aid, aiming to address the root causes of communist insurgencies
• Australia's fear of communism significantly shaped its foreign policy during the mid-20th century