A major Cold War espionage incident that occurred in Australia in April 1954
Petrov Affair key events
1. Defection of Vladimir Petrov
2. Evdokia Petrov's attempted repatriation
3. Royal Commission investigation
Vladimir Petrov
Soviet diplomat and KGB agent stationed in Canberra who defected and sought asylum in Australia
Evdokia Petrov
Vladimir Petrov's wife, who was the subject of a dramatic attempted repatriation by Soviet agents before being granted asylum in Australia
Royal Commission
Established by the Australian government to investigate Petrov's claims of Soviet espionage, which found evidence of Soviet spy rings operating in Australia
Petrov Affair
Occurred during the 1954 federal election campaign, significantly influencing the political climate
Petrov Affair
Used by the Liberal-Country Coalition to portray the Labor Party as being soft on communism, contributing to Labor's electoral defeat
ALP Split
A direct outcome of internal divisions within the Australian Labor Party, exacerbated by the Petrov Affair
Factors leading to the ALP Split
Dr. H.V. Evatt's handling of the Petrov Affair
Influence of anti-communist industrial groups
Catholic influence through the Catholic Social Studies Movement
ALP Split
1. Expulsion of leading anti-communist members
2. Formation of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP)
3. DLP's preference deals with the Coalition contributing to keeping Labor out of power for over two decades
The Petrov Affair and the ALP Split were pivotal events in Australian political history, underscoring the intense anti-communist sentiment of the time and shaping the country's Cold War policies
