Description
Book SynopsisPaul R. Bartrop examines the formation and execution of Australian government policy towards European Jews during the Holocaust period, revealing that Australia did not have an established refugee policy (as opposed to an immigration policy) until late 1938. He shows that, following the Evian Conference of July 1938, Interior Minister John McEwen pledged a new policy of accepting 15,000 refugees (not specifically Jewish), but the bureaucracy cynically sought to restrict Jewish entry despite McEwen's lofty ambitions. Moreover, the book considers the (largely negative) popular attitudes toward Jewish immigrants in Australia, looking at how these views were manifested in the press and in letters to the Department of the Interior.
The Holocaust and Australia grapples with how, when the Second World War broke out, questions of security were exploited as the means to further exclude Jewish refugees, a policy incongruous alongside government pronouncements condemning Nazi atrocities. T
Trade ReviewThe scholarship of Paul Bartrop, one of the most prolific of Genocide and Holocaust scholars, never ceases to provide insight into often underexamined dimensions of the Holocaust. In
The Holocaust and Australia, Bartrop continues that tradition by shifting his lens from Europe to Australia and powerfully succeeds in illustrating the ways in which the Nazi persecution of the Jews had worldwide implications and consequences. I highly recommend this book as an essential read for anyone interested understanding the ways in which the Holocaust was a global calamity the consequences of which continue to influence and haunt our world today. * Alexander Alvarez, Professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, North Arizona University, USA *
In this vital book, Paul R. Bartrop expertly takes us from the opening threats of the Nazi regime, through the genocide, to the Holocaust’s aftermath in courts and memories, carefully outlining Australia’s response. He skilfully sets out the reasons why Australia rejected Jewish refugees, showing the behind-the-scenes discussions and machinations of government. We read devastating stories of what Australia’s lack of action meant for the lives and futures of so many Jews. Traversing the records of government bureaucracy, media coverage, and the letters that Jews wrote begging for assistance, Bartrop reminds us of the ways that Australian governments have historically closed their borders, refusing to offer protection to people desperately in need. It’s a timely reminder of a long history in this country, and Bartrop shows clearly the importance of his meticulous historical work for illuminating this past. This is a book which we all need to read, to remember the dangers of governments ‘selecting’ who their populations will be. * Dr Jordana Silverstein, Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne, Australia *
A commanding work of research and insight. -- William D. Rubinstein * Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal *
Table of ContentsAbbreviations Dramatis Personae Introduction 1. Australians, Jews, and a Hostile World 2. Confronting the Refugee Challenge 3. Developing a Response 4. Australia and the Evian Conference 5. Holding the Line 6. Public Opinion and Policy Options 7. Liberalisation? 8. Total Restriction 9. The Last Days of Peace 10. Responses to Jewish Refugees 11. Refugees and Enemy Aliens 12. Wartime Europe and Australia 13. News about the Holocaust 14. Australians View the Nuremberg Trial 15. Aftermath: The Hunt for Nazi War Criminals 16. Memory: The Holocaust and its Place in Australian History Bibliography Index
