How Did The Petrov Affair Affect Australia

The impact of the Petrov Affair will be seen to significantly alter the political landscape of Australia and providing the liberal government under Menzies an opportunity to reconfirm their anti-communist sentiment. Manne identifies that the use of the word ‘Affair’ is a clear indication of how controversial this event was in Australian history as it contributed to the demise of the Australian Labor party and people branded as communist agitators. In 1954, prior to the federal election, Menzies had announced a Royal Commission into Espionage within Australia, propelling the Petrov ‘Affair’ in becoming a more dramatized event calling upon suspects to present themselves before the commission and in the process tainting individuals and their

These leftist conspiracy theories were explored by Whitlam and Stubbs’s through the use of Gallup polls to determine whether the Royal Commission had aided and abetted Menzies 1954 election victory, since the advent of communism had raised its menacing clutches within Australia’s political and social dialogue. However, Manne counteracts these conspiracy theories by attempting to play down Menzies involvement in the Petrov affair and argues that these figures from the opinion polls were selectively used and often misleading. Despite the Royal Commission reaching levels of anticlimax due to the reason of it being unable to prosecute any persons of interest, it still concluded that the Soviets had been engaging in espionage via their embassy in Canberra. Furthermore, professor David McKnight reaffirms Manne’s rejection of conspiracy theories relating to the suggestion that Menzies was solely responsible in the orchestration of the Petrov affair, and the public should not allow media frenzy to convolute the fact that level of Soviet espionage genuinely existed in Australia. Robert Menzies in the writings of his memoir adds to his denial of any complicity in the Petrov affair through the statement, ‘the picturesque slander outlives the

A means by which to gain insight into Australian public perceptions and attitudes towards this affair and the overall atmosphere surrounding the Cold War is to examine the newspaper articles that were reporting on this event as it unfolded, whether rightfully or wrongfully. These emotions accompanying this event, particularly in regard to the incident with Mrs Petrov being forced onto the plane by Russian agents, had been captured by the Sydney Morning Herald, depicting a person ‘distraught with terror’ who personified the struggled between the democratic held values of the west against ‘ruthlessness’ of the communist regime. However, consideration must be given to what extent media reflects or sways public opinion. Thus, one must consider the political leanings of newspapers during this period to digest their agenda. Historically, the Sydney Morning Herold was seen to be a newspaper with conservative orientation and their use of rhetoric such as ‘dark forces are coming home to us’ perpetuates the anti-Communist hysteria of the Australia’s Cold War period. The infamous photograph showing Mrs Petrov being forcibly escorted by two Soviet agents at Mascot Airport is a prime example of media sensationalism on the reporting of this event, becoming evocative as it plays upon public