Examine the impact of the Second World War on the foreign and domestic policies of Australia up to 1972.

Candidates are required to consider the interrelationship between the Second World War and the decisions made regarding foreign and domestic policies in the specified timeframe.

Indicative content

Foreign policies

• When Britain entered the Second World War in September 1939, Australia’s Prime Minister Menzies immediately committed Australia. In 1940–1941 Australian troops were sent to Europe and the Middle East to support Britain.
• When Menzies visited Britain early in 1941 he was concerned about the apparent British disregard for security in the Pacific. Menzies’s United Australia Party government collapsed and Curtin (Labor) became Prime Minister in October 1941.
• In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States’ naval base at Pearl Harbor. Japanese expansion was rapid; by May 1942 Japan had much territory in the Pacific and Southeast Asia and the north of Australia had been bombed.
• Curtin recalled Australian troops and refused to comply with British military requests. He forged an alliance with the US and allowed Australian troops to be put under US command.
• The Pacific War caused Australia to realize that it could not depend on Britain and therefore Australia and New Zealand entered the ANZUS pact with the United States in 1951 providing for mutual defence.
• The rise of communism in Asia presented another perceived threat and, again, Australia allied with the US and others in order to meet that perceived threat, forming the South East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) in 1954.
• Australia joined with the US to resist the invasion of South Korea by communist North Korea and the communist insurgency in Vietnam.
• However, Australia also supported Britain in Malaya and Borneo and remained a member of the British Commonwealth.
• Britain’s withdrawal of a military presence from east of Suez in 1971 confirmed Australia’s trend of moving away from reliance on Britain for defence.

Domestic policies

• Economically, Australia also developed closer links with Asia and these were reinforced once Britain joined the European Union (EU).
• Culturally, however, Australia still had close links with Britain.
• The post-war immigration policies favoured a majority of British immigrants and this reinforced the traditional kinship ties. There were, however, immigrants from many European countries, but until the 1970s they were encouraged to assimilate into Australian culture.

The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, the list is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.

Examiners and moderators are reminded of the need to apply the markbands that provide the “best fit” to the responses given by candidates and to award credit wherever it is possible to do so.

[20 marks]