In early 1933 Eric Campbell toured Europe to supplement his 'data about Fascism'. In London he met representatives of both the British Union of Fascists (BUF) and the Imperial Fascist League. Brandishing a letter of introduction from the BUF's Sir Oswald Mosley, Campbell continued his European fascist tour, seeking audiences with Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. In Berlin the New Guard leader observed 100,000 Nazis rallying in front of the Imperial Palace in Unter den Linden. He was highly impressed.
The labour response to the New Guard was immediately and uniformly hostile. Labour and leftist newspapers across the political spectrum as well as trade union, communist, unemployed and Labour Party organisations, all denounced the New Guard. The NSW Labour Council and state ALP executive attacked it as a 'Fascist organisation', as did the major trade unions, and rank and file activists and individual ALP and trade union branches.
Communists agreed that the depression was proof of the failings of a capitalist system and pointed to an idealised version of life in Russia as an example of a state where there was full employment. Communists groups were often involved in political actions aimed at improving conditions for the unemployed.
The New Guard however, believed that they could maintain law and order by taking over the running of the state in the event of a communist uprising. In reality they used fear to attack any political group they disagreed with.
Exercises:
On a new page in your books put the Heading “Extreme Politics”. Under the heading write a 1/2 page summary based upon the information above. After you have completed the summary, write the following sub-headings and the questions in your books and answer them in full sentences using the links to the websites listed below.
The New Guard
1. Who were the New Guard?
2. How many members did the New Guard have?
3. What did they do in Sydney?
4. Find and write down the definition of "coup d'etat".
5. What other well known personalities were members of the New Guard?
6. What was their goal and what did they want to stop happening?
Communist Party of Australia
1. Who formed the the Communist Party of Australia?
2. Where did they hold their meetings?
3. What was the name of their paper?
4. What was the Union's attitude to the party?
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