The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991. It achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted banning in 1951. Though it never presented a major challenge to the established order in Australia, it did have significant influence on the trade unions, social movements, and the national culture. A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers...

History

The Communist Party was founded in Sydney on 30 October 1920 by a group of socialists inspired by reports of the Russian Revolution. Among the party's founders were a prominent Sydney trade unionist, Jock Garden, Adela Pankhurst (daughter of the British suffragist Emmeline Pankhurst) and most of the then illegal Australian section of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). The IWW rapidly left the Communist Party, with its original members, over disagreements with the direction of the Soviet Union and Bolshevism. In its early years, mainly through Garden's efforts, the party achieved some influence in the trade union movement in New South Wales, but by the mid 1920s it had dwindled to an insignificant sect. This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political events in Russia, involving first the overthrow of the system of autocracy, and then the overthrow of the liberal Provisional Government (Duma), resulting in the establishment of the Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ... John Smith Jock Garden (13 August 1882 - 31 December 1968), Australian trade unionist and politician, was one of the founders of the Communist Party of Australia. ... Adela Pankhurst (1885-1961) was recruited during World War I as an organiser for the Womens Peace Army in Melbourne by Vida Goldstein. ... Statue of Emmeline Pankhurst in Victoria Tower Gardens next to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster. ... The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies) is an international union currently headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. At its peak in 1923 the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. ... Emblems: Floral - Waratah (Telopea speciosissima); Bird - Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas); Animal - Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus); Fish - Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Slogan or Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Const. ...

Jock Garden

In the later 1920s the party was rebuilt by Jack Kavanagh, an experienced Canadian Communist activist, and Esmonde Higgins, a talented Melbourne journalist who was the nephew of a High Court judge, H.B. Higgins. But in 1929 the party leadership fell into disfavour with the Comintern, which under orders from Stalin had taken a turn to extreme revolutionary rhetoric (the so-called "Third Period"), and an emissary, the American Communist Harry Wicks, was sent to correct the party's perceived errors. Kavanagh was expelled and Higgins resigned. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1090x1701, 330 KB) 1means the typographical arrangement and layout of a published work. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1090x1701, 330 KB) 1means the typographical arrangement and layout of a published work. ... Jack Kavanagh was a leader of the Socialist Party of Canada from 1908 to 1921 and was a founding member of the Communist Party of Canada. ... Melbournes Yarra River is popular area for walking, jogging, cycling and relaxing on the banks with a picnic Melbourne (pronounced either or [1]) is the second most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3. ... Hon H.B. Higgins For the fictional character Henry Higgins see Pygmalion or My Fair Lady. ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Comintern (Russian: Коммунистический Интернационал, Kommunisticheskiy Internatsional – Communist International, also known as the Third International) was an international Communist organization founded in March 1919, in the midst of the war communism period (1918-1921), by Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik), which intended to fight by all available means, including... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314... Third Period refers to the ultra-left policy adopted by the Comintern, following the end of the New Economic Policy in the Soviet Union in 1928 up to the adoption of the Popular Front policy in 1934. ...

A new party leadership, consisting of J B (Jack) Miles, Lance Sharkey and Richard Dixon, was imposed on the party by the Comintern, and remained in control for the next 30 years. During the 1930s the party experienced some growth, particularly after 1935 when the Comintern changed its policy in favour of a "united front against fascism." The party began to win positions in trade unions such as the Miners Federation and the Waterside Workers Federation, although its parliamentary candidates nearly always polled poorly at elections. Lawrence (Lance) Louis Sharkey (18 August 1898-13 May 1967) was the secretary of Communist Party of Australia from 1948 to 1965. ... The Comintern (Russian: Коммунистический Интернационал, Kommunisticheskiy Internatsional – Communist International, also known as the Third International) was an international Communist organization founded in March 1919, in the midst of the war communism period (1918-1921), by Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik), which intended to fight by all available means, including... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Fascism is a radical political ideology that combines elements of corporatism, authoritarianism, nationalism, militarism, anti-anarchism, anti-communism and anti-liberalism. ...

During the early stages of World War II the party was banned, but after the Soviet Union entered the war the party had a brief period of popularity. Its membership rose to 20,000, it won control of a number of important trade unions, and a Communist candidate, Fred Paterson, was elected to the Queensland parliament. But the party remained marginal to the Australian political mainstream. The Australian Labor Party remained the dominant party of the Australian working class, and always refused to enter alliances with the Communists. Combatants Allied Powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Axis Powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead... Frederick Woolnough Paterson (1897-1977) was an Australian politician. ... The Legislative Assembly. ... The Australian Labor Party or ALP is Australias oldest political party. ...

Lance Sharkey

After 1945 and the onset of the Cold War, the party entered a steady decline. Following the new line from Moscow, and believing that a new "imperialist war" and a new depression were imminent, and that the CPA should immediately contest for leadership of the working class with the Australian Labor Party, the CPA lauched an industrial offensive in 1947, culminating in a prolonged strike in the coalmines in 1949. The Chifley Labor government saw this as a Communist challenge to its position in the labour movement, and used the army to break the strike. The Communist Party never again held such a strong position in the union movement. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (549x796, 151 KB) 1means the typographical arrangement and layout of a published work. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (549x796, 151 KB) 1means the typographical arrangement and layout of a published work. ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... For other uses, please see Cold War (disambiguation). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Chicken nuggets are sold at McDonalds (September 22, 1885–June 13, 1951), Australian politician and 16th Prime Minister of Australia, was one of Australias most influential Prime Ministers. ...

In 1951 the Menzies conservative government tried to ban the party, first by legislation that was declared invalid by the High Court, then by referendum to try to overcome the constitutional obstacles to that legislation, but the referendum was narrowly defeated. When Stalin died and Khrushchev revealed his crimes in the Secret Speech, members began to leave. More left after the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956. In 1961 the split between the Soviet Union and China was mirrored in Australia, with a small pro-China party being formed - the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist). 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, FRS, QC (20 December 1894 – 14 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia, serving eighteen and a half years. ... The Communist Party v The Commonwealth (1951) 83 CLR 1, also known as the The Communist Party Case, is a very famous case of the High Court of Australia Taking advantage of Cold War concerns. ... The 1951 Australian Referendum was held on 22 September 1951. ... Nikita Khrushchev in 1962 Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: Ники́та Серге́евич Хрущёв) (nih-KEE-tah khroo-SHCHYOFF) (April 17, 1894 – September 11, 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union... The Secret Speech is the common name of a speech given on February 25, 1956 by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denouncing the actions of Josef Stalin. ... Hungarians investigate a disabled Soviet tank in Budapest The 1956 Hungarian Revolution, also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a popular revolt against Soviet influence and control in Hungary. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (Chinese: 毛泽东思想, pinyin: Máo Zédōng SÄ«xiÇŽng), is a variant of Marxism-Leninism derived from the teachings of the Chinese communist Mao Zedong. ... The Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) (CPA(ML)) is a minor political party in Australia, which advocates a form of communism based on the writings of Marx, Lenin, Stalin and Mao Zedong. ...

By the 1960s the party's membership had fallen to around 5,000, but it continued to hold positions in a number of trade unions, and it was also influential in the various protest movements of the period, especially the movement against the Vietnam War. But the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 triggered another crisis. Sharkey's successor as party leader, Laurie Aarons, denounced the invasion, causing a group of pro-Soviet hardliners to leave and form a new party, the Socialist Party of Australia. Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... People in a café watch Soviet tanks roll past The Prague Spring (Czech: Pražské jaro, Slovak: Pražská jar, Russian: пражская весна) was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia starting January 5, 1968 when Alexander Dubček came to power, and running until August 20 of that year when the... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Laurence (Laurie) Aarons (August 19, 1917 - February 7, 2005), Australian Communist leader, was National Secretary of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) from 1965 to 1976. ... For the pre-1991 Communist Party of Australia, see Communist Party of Australia The Communist Party of Australia is a minor political party in Australia. ...

Through the 1970s and 1980s the party continued to decline, despite adopting the rhetoric of Eurocommunism and democratising its internal structures so that it became a looser radical party rather than a classic Marxist-Leninist one. By 1990 its membership had declined to less than a thousand, and in 1991 it was wound up. In 1996 the Socialist Party then took up the now-unused name of Communist Party of Australia (see Communist Party of Australia (revived)). This party, along with a number of small Trotskyist groups, maintains the Communist tradition in Australia, but none of these groups is of any political significance. Eurocommunism was an attempt in the 1970s by various Western European communist parties to develop a theory and practice of social transformation that was more relevant in a Western European democracy. ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism; it is a branch of Marxism (and it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... This article is about the year. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Communist Party of Australia is a minor political party in Australia. ...

Legacy

Despite its usually peripheral role in Australian politics and its ultimate failure, the Communist Party had an influence far beyond its numbers. From 1935 to the 1960s it occupied leadership positions in a number of important trade unions, and was at centre of many major industrial conflicts. Many of its members played leading roles in Australian cultural life, such as the novelists Katharine Susannah Prichard, Judah Waten, Frank Hardy, Eric Lambert and Alan Marshall, the painter Noel Counihan and the poet David Martin. 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Katharine Susannah Prichard was born in 1883 in Levuka, Fiji, but spent her childhood in Launceston, Tasmania, then Melbourne, where she won a scholarship to South Melbourne College. ... [1]Frank Hardy (1917–1994) was a left-wing novelist and writer from Australia. ... Eric Lambert, 1918-1966, was an Australian author and a member of the Communist Party of Australia. ... Alan Marshall (2 May 1902--21 January 1984) born in Noorat, Australia) was an Australian writer, story teller and social documentor, was . ... Noel Counihan (October 4, 1913 - July 5, 1986) was an Australian social realist painter. ... David Martin (22 December 1915 - 1 July 1997), known as a Australian poet, was born Lajos or Ludwig Detsinyi, into a Jewish family in Hungary (then part of Austro-Hungary). ...

In some ways the negative influence of the Communist Party was more important than anything the party itself did. Conservative politicians such as Stanley Bruce in the 1920s and Robert Menzies in the 1950s won elections by linking the Labor Party with Communism. In the early 1950s Catholics in the Labor Party were led by hatred of Communism to form "Industrial Groups" to combat Communist influence in the unions. This led in 1954 to a party split and the formation of the Democratic Labor Party, which used its second preferences at elections to keep the ALP out of power. Rt Hon Stanley Bruce Stanley Melbourne Bruce (15 April 1883 - August 25, 1967), Australian politician and diplomat, later Viscount Bruce of Melbourne and Westminster, was the eighth Prime Minister of Australia. ... Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, FRS, QC (20 December 1894 – 14 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia, serving eighteen and a half years. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For alternative meanings, see Democratic Labour Party The Democratic Labor Party (DLP) is a minor political party in Australia. ... A how-to-vote card from the Australian federal election of 2004, showing voters how to fill in the squares on the ballot paper if they wish to vote for the Liberal Party of Australia. ...

The Communist Party and its members campaigned for many years for causes such as improved conditions for industrial workers, opposition to fascist and other dictatorships, equal rights for women and civil rights for the Aboriginal people. It achieved some successes in these areas, and many of its positions were later taken up by the political mainstream. But the party never succeeded in persuading many people that Communism was the answer to these problems. Against these achievements must be set the party's long history as an apologist for the Soviet Union. Disenchantment with the Soviet Union led most of the party's members to leave over time. See also, List of Indigenous Australian group names Indigenous Australians are the first human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. ...

Youth movement

The youth wing of CPA worked under several different names in different periods, Young Communists, Eureka Youth League, Young Socialist League and Young Communist Movement of Australia. The Eureka Youth had been a founding member of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, a membership later taken over by YCM. WFDY symbol The World Federation of Democratic Youth is a youth organization, recognized by the United Nations as an international youth non-governmental organization. ...

See also: Communist Party constitutional robocracy In modern usage, a communist party is a political party which promotes communism, the sociopolitical ideology based on Marxism. ...

Further reading

• Professor Stuart Macintyre has published the first volume of a major history of the Communist Party, The Reds (Allen and Unwin 1998), taking the party's history to 1941.