Introduction

This opening chapter establishes the significance of violent Croatian nationalism in Australia from 1949 to 1972. Between these years, Australia became home to what Yugoslavia considered the most dangerous concentration of Croatian nationalist groups outside Western Europe, conducting weapons training, bombings, and armed incursions into Yugoslavia. The introductory chapter argues that the remarkable aspect was not the existence of these groups, but rather how Australia’s governing Liberal Party actively supported and defended them against Labor Party pressure for over two decades. This chapter provides an overview of the period and central issues examined throughout this book, demonstrating how ideological blindness and partisan politics prevented Australia from addressing serious threats to public safety and national security.