Robert Menzies

Sir Robert Gordon Menzies (20 December 1894 – 14 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia serving eighteen and a half years. He had a rapid rise to power, but his first term as Prime Minister was a failure. He spent eight years in the wilderness before playing a crucial role in reshaping the Liberal Party and making a successful comeback, and he dominated Australian politics in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Related Topics:
20 December - 1894 - 14 May - 1978 - Australia - Prime Minister of Australia - 1950s - 1960s

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He was renowned as a brilliant speaker, both on the floor of Parliament and on the hustings. His imperious manner (and bushy eyebrows) led to him being nicknamed "Ming", referring to the evil emperor in the Flash Gordon serials, Ming the Merciless; his controversial role in the sale of scrap iron to Japan on the eve of World War Two earned him his other nickname, "Pig Iron Bob".

Related Topics:
Flash Gordon - Ming the Merciless - Japan

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