John Curtin

John Curtin (January 8 1885 – July 5 1945), Australian politician and 14th Prime Minister of Australia, led Australia through the darkest period of its history: when the Australian mainland came under direct military threat during the Japanese advance in World War II. Many Australians regard him as the country's greatest political leader and greatest Prime Minister.

Wartime leader

Curtin refused Robert Menzies's offer to form a wartime "national government," partly because he feared it would split the Labor Party. In October 1941 the two independent MPs who had been keeping the conservatives in power since 1940 switched their support to Labor, and Curtin became Prime Minister. In December the Pacific War broke out, and in February 1942 Singapore fell to the Japanese, who were soon bombing northern Australian towns. Invasion seemed a real threat.

Related Topics:
Robert Menzies - 1941 - 1940 - Pacific War - 1942 - Singapore - Bombing northern Australian towns

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Curtin took three crucial decisions. The first was to recall most of the Second Australian Imperial Force from North Africa, to the Asia-Pacific region, despite the furious objections of Winston Churchill. The second was to appeal publicly to the United States for assistance. Curtin also formed a good working relationship with the Allied Supreme Commander in the South West Pacific Area, General Douglas MacArthur and directed Australian commanders to treat MacArthur's orders as coming straight from Canberra. By 1943, the threat of invasion had been averted. In August, Curtin led Labor to its greatest ever election victory.

Related Topics:
Second Australian Imperial Force - North Africa - Winston Churchill - United States - South West Pacific Area - Douglas MacArthur - 1943

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The third step Curtin took was the introduction of conscription, which he judged vital for Australia's survival. This met furious opposition from most of Curtin's old friends on the left, and from many of his colleagues, led by Arthur Calwell. The stress of this bitter battle inside his own party took a toll on Curtin's health.

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Curtin's health had never been robust, and he suffered all his life from stress related illnesses. He also smoked heavily. In 1944, when he travelled to London for meetings with Allied leaders, he already had heart disease, and in 1945 his health deteriorated. He died in Canberra, Australia in July 1945 at the age of 60, the second Australian Prime Minister to die in office in six years, and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, Australia. MacArthur said that Curtin was "one of the greatest of the wartime statesmen" and that "the preservation of Australia from invasion will be his immemorial monument".

Related Topics:
1945 - Canberra, Australia - Perth, Australia

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