Menzies’ and Whitlam’s Influence on Australian Foreign Policy Between 1949 and 1975

Menzies’ and Whitlam’s influence on Australian Foreign Policy between 1949 and 1975

From the end of World War II in 1949 to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Australian Government was faced with internal disorder on how to approach the new era of communism. As, Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister to date, and as leader of the Liberal Party from 1945 to 1966, Sir Robert Menzies’ main policies were on eliminating the threat of communism. Conversely, Gough Whitlam the 21st Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975 and leader of the Labour Party from 1967 to 1977, was focused mainly on the strengthening of Australia as a nation. The Menzies government tried to influence Australia’s foreign policy to create a strong alliance with America during the Vietnam War; however, the Whitlam government tried to strengthen Australia’s independence and relationship with neighbouring countries. During Robert Menzies second term in office from 1949 to 1966, the Liberal Party entered the Korean War, and formed more treaties in order to publicly promote and strengthen their alliance with America. Despite Menzies’ aims to strengthen the relationship with America, when Gough Whitlam was elected as Prime Minister in 1972, the Labour Party’s main focus was to create relationships with communist countries and rebuild their relationship with Vietnam, along with trying to create an independent Australian foreign policy.

During Robert Menzies second term in office between 1949 to 1966, the outcome of the Korean War and the newly formed treaties helped the Liberal Party build an alliance with America, during a time of communist threats. In 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea, Australia immediately sent troops to fight in support of the South. Although Australia was fighting under the Commonwealth and not due to direct American intervention, Australia’s involvement reinforced to America that Australia did have a fear of ‘monolithic communism’ and Australia entering the Korean War was the beginning of a shift in alliance (Harpur, 1990, p90).  In 1955, two years after the end of the Korean War, Robert Menzies argued during a parliamentary debate that “we would be strangely blind if we did not see that, on the world scene, the rise of the United States” (Menzies, 1955). He also made reference that it would be hard to find anyone “who did not recognize that the friendship and co-operation of the United States” as “vital to our own safety” (Menzies, 1955).  Menzies clearly had the support of the Liberal members, especially Percy Spender who was the Australian Ambassador to the United States during the Korean War, and also Minister for External Affairs from 1949 to 1951 under the Menzies Government. Spender had openly and constantly expressed a great desire to secure alliances with 'great powers' (Harpur, 1990, p90). This can be supported by, Professor Greg Pemberton, who holds a PHD in Australian International law. He maintained that “Spender clearly saw the necessity for Australia to move closer towards America”(Pemberton, p21).  By Menzies being publicly supported by ministers in the cabinet who all had “repeatedly” agreed that it was “essential for Australia to maintain the best possible relations with the United States”, it helped “leading members of the government” strengthen Australia’s relationship with America. This can be supported by a statement made about by the US State Department who cited that Menzies “has made the achievement of close relations with the United States as a cardinal point of Australian foreign policy” (US State Department, 1957)).  The newly growing relationship between America and Australia was followed by the COLOMBO plan which was initiated on the 1st of July 1951 by Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Ceylon and Pakistan, and later by the United States, Indonesia and Philippines. (Harpur,1990, p91).  It was initially formed to supply economic aid for reducing the level of poverty. In 1947 Labour Minister for External Affairs, Dr Herbert Evatt made a clear argument in support of the COLOMBO plan and the need to target low economic countries (Brodie, 1987, p98).  Dr Evatt stated that, the most effective way to combat communism “was to improve working standards of those who were externally and internally threatened by communism”(Evatt, 1947) Alan Renouf who was the Australian Ambassador to France after the war, reinforced Menzies influence on Australian foreign policy stating that “international communism was perceived as the main threat” supporting that during this era the Menzies government were “paying considerable attention to the logistical aspect” of the ‘Red Menace’ leading Australia to America who were growing as an “industrial power” (Renouf, 1979, p2).  In conjunction with the COLOMBO treaty, the ANZUS treaty, officially known as the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty, was formed on the 1st of September 1951 and formally recognized as a military alliance. This treaty was “to declare publicly and formally their sense of unity, so that no potential aggressor could be under the illusion that any of them stand alone in the Pacific” (ANZUS Treaty, 1951, p1).  Robert Menzies made mention to the treaty and his reasoning behind it in his 1972 election speech stating that, “it is of vital importance” and “as a result of ANZUS” they were “completely backed by the United States” (Menzies, 1972). The change in Australian Foreign Policy around the time of the 1950s was to be the forefront in the political agenda and through the development of the ANZUS treaty, the South East Asia Treaty Organization was formed in 1955. Through the formation of SEATO, the Australian Government was able to achieve one of its objectives; they had the United States committed to the area of Asia that lay between Australia and China, while America saw SEATO as a means to defend its strategic interests in the region against communism (RSL, 2016). The Minister for External Affairs, Dr Casey in 1954 commented on SEATO stating that, “the real purpose of this Treaty is to present a concerted front of defence against aggressive Communism which presents the free world with immediate problems of security” (Casey, 1972, p125).  Australian foreign policy by the end of the 1950s was increasingly tied to America. ANZUS and SEATO each represented a commitment on behalf of both countries to the defence of South-East Asia and opposition to communism in any form. Through the formation of these new alliances with America it certainly developed the two nations relationship because of a common purpose.