Are you worried about the possibility of war? As the geopolitical situation becomes ever more tense, many commentators have described the onset of a new Cold War. If the threats faced by the Western World do indeed bear similarities to the ideologically bifurcated world of the 1950s, then it would be wise to look back over that troubled period for lessons for the present. Robert Menzies Institute Fellow Dr William Stoltz has done exactly that, in a new occasional paper dubbed ‘Australia's Dilemmas: Then and Now’.

Read the occasional paper here

Want to hear more? Listen to Dr Jeffrey Wilson give his insights into using the example of the 50s to seize the opportunities of the present

Bonus Fact:

Tensions over Taiwan are nothing new. In 1958 the world was almost plunged into war over what is known as the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. On that occasion, the Menzies Government strongly urged the United States to act with caution.

Dr William Stoltz is a Robert Menzies Institute Visiting Fellow and Senior Adviser for Public Policy at the ANU National Security College. He holds a PhD and Advanced Masters of National Security Policy from the Australian National University as well as a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne.