Communism and Australias Response
History Assignment term 1, Mrs Bergin, Charlie Phillips
The Australian Governments response to the threat of communism during the 1950s and 1960s included many defferent methods. Some of the more important respones where actions such as signing the ANZUS and SEATO treaties and committing troops to overseas battles. The Prime Minster in charge was Robert Menzies, and was Prime Minister from 1949 through to 1966. He was very against communism and wanted to change laws about communism in australia.
The response to communism in Asia was very important to Australias decisions in fighting against communism. At the end of World War 2, The United States and Soviet Russia both emerged as superpowers, but had conflicting political views. This relates to Source 1 of my sources as it shows the asian countries hiding behind the power of the superpowers of America and Russia/China. These were the democracy of the US, and the communism of the Soviets. America and other countries throughout Asia including Australia were scared of a theory named the domino effect, were in if one country falls under communist rule, the rest would follow suit. With the US being a superpower, Australia wanted to fight with it, therefore securing its defence against any communist threats from Asia.
Aswell as this, the Chinese Revolution saw China become a communist country when Mao took power. China was another communist superpower and was seen as more of a threat than Russia as it was closer to Australia. This caused communism to seem like a much more real threat and many were afraid that it could take over in Australia.
In 1950, communist North Korea, backed by Russia who offered weapons, and China who offered troops, invaded the non-communist South Korea. When france lost control, the US proposes the SEATO agreement, which involved America, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, France, The Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan, and was supposedly meant to protect Laos, South Vietnam and Cambodia from
The Australian Governments response to the threat of communism during the 1950s and 1960s included many defferent methods. Some of the more important respones where actions such as signing the ANZUS and SEATO treaties and committing troops to overseas battles. The Prime Minster in charge was Robert Menzies, and was Prime Minister from 1949 through to 1966. He was very against communism and wanted to change laws about communism in australia.
The response to communism in Asia was very important to Australias decisions in fighting against communism. At the end of World War 2, The United States and Soviet Russia both emerged as superpowers, but had conflicting political views. This relates to Source 1 of my sources as it shows the asian countries hiding behind the power of the superpowers of America and Russia/China. These were the democracy of the US, and the communism of the Soviets. America and other countries throughout Asia including Australia were scared of a theory named the domino effect, were in if one country falls under communist rule, the rest would follow suit. With the US being a superpower, Australia wanted to fight with it, therefore securing its defence against any communist threats from Asia.
Aswell as this, the Chinese Revolution saw China become a communist country when Mao took power. China was another communist superpower and was seen as more of a threat than Russia as it was closer to Australia. This caused communism to seem like a much more real threat and many were afraid that it could take over in Australia.
In 1950, communist North Korea, backed by Russia who offered weapons, and China who offered troops, invaded the non-communist South Korea. When france lost control, the US proposes the SEATO agreement, which involved America, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, France, The Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan, and was supposedly meant to protect Laos, South Vietnam and Cambodia from