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As if to reinforce the fear Of communism, two spies working on behalf of the Soviet Embassy were discovered in an event known as the Petrol Affair and reignited the fear of communism which became stronger than ever before. The government’s seemingly desperate response to communism, such as sending Australian troops overseas in forward defense and in the hopes of displaying loyalty to America in return for support in a potential attack, also added to the fear of unionism among citizens as they realized their own government saw communism as a menace.
It is evident that events such as the Petrol Affair, a direct result of the Cold War, made Australian society extremely anxious about the threat of communism and this lead to substantial tension within the community. Unease within society became quite apparent as people became more concerned over national security and the government continued to send troops overseas to fight in wars against communist powers. During the ass’s and ass’s, there were many political and social retests within Australia and it was evident that the nation was split on many issues, especially those regarding war.
As troops were sent into Vietnam War and conscription was introduced, it was quite clear that Australia was divided into groups that supported the government move and a strong anti-war movement who did not believe the war could be worn. In closing, it is quite clear the Cold War had a significant impact on Australian society as people became increasingly concerned over national security and the threat of communism which lead to large divisions within society.