Example research essay topic: How Australia Reacted To The Threat Of Communism - 1,251 words

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The threat of communism that the Australian government produced is highly debatable issue. Australia was being exposed to Communism, which was spreading south from Russia, through Asia and ultimately to Australia. The domino theory was a key belief in the mind of the public, spreading fear throughout the world. The Liberal party exploited the threat of Communism and the domino theory to help with their election campaign.

They attempted to ban the Communist Party from Australian soils. Trade unions and political parties being suspect to communist infiltration, and a possible spy scandal, The Petrov affair added to the exaggerated threat of communism. Australia decided to make alliances with other countries and sent troops to the Korean and Vietnam wars. In 1949 the election success of the communist party in China provoked an enormous reaction in the capitalist nations of the world. Ironically, in the same year, Robert Menzies pledged that he would outlaw the communist party in Australia. The success of Chinas Communist party combined with propaganda and censorship put to the people by the Australian government, kept the fear of communism alive.

Fear of communism was used by various Australian governments to maintain power and to manipulate public opinion. Conservative and right wing governments frequently linked the socialist Labor Party to Communism and Leninist type ideals. In theory, Communism was a sensible ideology, but in practice, too easy to corrupt. Many Australians believed at the time that Asian countries would fall like dominoes to the Communist administration, and that Australia was next.

The domino theory started as Communists infiltrated surrounding countries. Robert Menzies used this theory in his election campaign to his advantage in order to lead Australians into believing that the threat of communism towards Australia was valid. This was the foundation for Menzies election win. The ALP was accused of introducing socialist policies into Australia. Examples of this are Chifleys introduction of a Medicare system, social security and his nationalization of the banks, and airlines. Menzies accused the trade unions of being under communist rule, which the Australian Labor Party had strong ties with as they both acted for workers rights.

The Liberal Party used the threat of communism in their campaign for parliament. They used these fabricated ideas in his campaign in order to persuade the public into thinking that there was a more legitimate threat of communist rule over Australia than there was. Menzies played on the fear, and won the election. He further used the threat of communism to win the next two elections. On the eve of the 1954 election, Menzies announced that the third secretary of the Russian Embassy had defected to, and been given political asylum in Australia.

He had documents outlining a Communist spy ring in Australia. Thus, a dramatic episode unfolded as the media glorified the scandal. The plane taking Mrs. Petrov to Russia was stopped as federal Police raided the plane and saved Mrs. Petrov from Soviet authority.

This scandal by chance, happened on the eve of the 1954 election, and was being broadcasted on the radio as though it was a soap opera. As a result of this affair, Menzies was re-elected into parliament by the Australian people due to the perceived threat of communism. In April 1950, Menzies attempted to ban the Communist party through his implementation of the Communist Party Dissolution Bill. It proposed that anyone who was a Communist was to be inhibited from having a job in government or a trade union. The idea was Guilty until proven innocent.

When the bill was passed however, the Labor party leader, Dr East took the case to the high court of Australia. The high court found that the law was un-constitutional, and could not come into effect. Menzies responded by announcing his intention to go to the people through a referendum to gain the power to crush communism by outlawing the communist party in Australia. In 1951, a Referendum was held to allow the communist party to be banned.

It was defeated, with the majority of Australians voting No to the banning of the Communist party of Australia (CPA). The constitution was not changed, and therefore the Communist Party was not banned. In 1951, Australia signed the ANZUS (Australia, New Zealand and United States) defensive treaty, creating a strong defensive alliance with these Capitalist countries and made Australians feel better protected from the threat of Communism. Any attack on the three signatories was considered as an attack upon all. This treaty became effective in 1952. The SEATO (South East Asia Treaty Organization) treaty came into effect in 1954.

The countries involved were France, Britain, United States, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia. The treaty was to attempt to outlaw and prevent communism in the Asia Pacific region. When the Korean War started in 1954 due to the Communist North Korean invasion of Capitalist South Korea, Australia departed for Korea. This was mainly to keep alliances with other countries, the most prominent being the United States. Australia Served in the Korean War between 1950 and 1953.

The end result after the horrendous bloodshed was the border between the two states being moved north a further 2 km. Australias service in the Korean War resulted in many political and security benefits, the most important being the ANZUS treaty. Australia was involved in the Vietnam War between 1962 and 1972. In 1965, PM Menzies announced that Australia would be sending a battalion of soldiers as a military aid to South Vietnam as, similar to the Korean conflict; the Socialist North was fighting Capitalist South in the battle to make Communism the worlds governing ideology. He claimed that the South Vietnamese had asked for Australias help to stop the Communist threat from China and that the takeover of South Vietnam would be a direct military threat to Australia. Menzies asserted that this was a direct threat to Australia.

However, Australia was mostly involved in the war because of alliances with other countries such as the United States. The form of conscription introduced in 1964 was called National Service. As the war in Vietnam grew more intense, Holt visited the USA in June 1966 to discuss the situation with US President L. B.

Johnson. Holt confirmed his government's full support for USA's Vietnam policy, and adopted the slogan 'All the way with LBJ'. However, this was not the attitude of most Australians. As the war was now televised, people could see the horrors of war in their own homes. There was much public protest and this came in the forms of rallies, people burning their draft cards and the moratorium. A phrase chanted outside the Whitehouse at one time during the war was Hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?

The success of the Communist party in China in 1949 allowed the Liberal party to exploit the domino theory, which caused widespread panic, and secured the election in the Liberal favour. This led to Australia signing the ANZUS and SEATO treaties, in the hope of protecting this Capitalist bloc from the threat of Communism. In a further attempt to crush the Communist menace troops were sent to the Korean and Vietnam wars, which ensured Capitalist control of strategic territory. Also, a greater rivalry formed between the Liberal party and the ALP, due to Menzies suspecting the ALP of socialist aims. The Australian Liberal Party responded strongly to the threat of communism, even to the degree of going against the Australian constitution.

The retorts were both within Australia and beyond.

Research essay sample on How Australia Reacted To The Threat Of Communism