The formation of the Austrahan Peace Council (APC) in July 1949 was a direct challenge
to the Cold War ideology that was dominant in Australia at this time. Its advocacy of
peace and its support for international agreements between the major powers drew a
hostile reaction from almost every sector of Australian society. This thesis will examine
the political and historical context for the formation of the APC and the holding of its
first National Peace Congress, in Melbourne, in 1950. In particular, it will focus on the
involvement of the three key groups that were involved in the APC: the religious
activists, the independent activists, and the communist intellectuals. It will argue that
those involved in the APC were motivated by idealistic views, were not Stalin's
'stooges', and were genuinely committed to ending the very real threat of a nuclear war.