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Period: to
Berlin Blockade
Stalin institutes the Berlin Blockade which essentially prevents food, materials, and supplies from arriving in West Berlin. The event constitutes the first major crisis of the Cold War. In response Australia and New Zealand aid in the “Berlin airlift”, a drive to supply West Berlin with “food and other provisions”.
This confirms Australasian anti-communism and Western support early on in the Cold War Era. -
Robert Menzies is elected Prime Minister of Australia
Robert Menzies uses widely-held fears of Communism to win the election to his second term as Prime Minister, promising to control its spread, especially due to a Communist-led mining strike earlier that year. He promised to outlaw the Communist Party of Australia -
Menzies Introduces Communist Party Dissolution Bill
This banned such organisations and meant that members had to delcare themselves to prevent their employment in the Commonwealth, trade unions, or any area of the defence industry. -
Australia Joins the Korean War
In order to both improve relations with the US and strengthen security against the threat of Communism, Australia sides with the US in the Korean War. -
ANZUS Treaty signed
The ANZUS Treaty (The Australian, New Zealand and United States Security Treaty) is signed in order to protect the security of the Pacific
-Represents the security fears held by governments in the cold war era
-Represents the official bond between Australasia and the United States, and thus Australasia's de facto anti-communist diplomatic policy/explicit siding with the US against the USSR -
Communist Party Dissolution Bill deemed unconstitutional by the High Court
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Menzies identifies the Korean War as well as Communism as the major issues for the election
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Communist Party Dissolution Bill referendum
August 1951: Australia is split by the referendum to alter the constitution in order to pass the Communist Party Dissolution Bill. ‘No’ narrowly wins. -
Period: to
A series of major nuclear bomb tests take place across Australia
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SEATO Established (Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation)
An international organisation for collective defense in Southeast Asia, is signed in Manila by Australia, New Zealand, France, Pakistan, the Philippines, Bangladesh (now), Thailand, the UK and the US, to prevent communist gains (“the domino effect”) in Southeast Asia.
SEATO and ANZUS afforded America the ability to establish military bases in Australia and New Zealand.
The period in which the two treaties were signed has been termed “Pactomania”, perhaps stemming from early Cold War paranoia -
Petrov Affair
Menzies is informed that Vladimir Petrov had defected to Australia, giving evidence of a so-called ‘spy ring’ in Australia. He establishes a Royla Commision to investigate this suspected espionage. This did not find anything however it damaged the reputations of countless suspects called to give evidence. -
Right-wing anti-communists left labour party as it falls into turmoil
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Vietnam War
Australian troops, alongside American soliders were sent to South Vietnam to fight in a proxy war against the USSR, their intention being to stop the spread of Communism into South Vietnam. However, they gradually withdrew their forces between 1970 and 1973.