Historical Context
The stated ideology of the New Guard can be seen as a response to a perceived communist threat, given that one of the criticisms that was made of communism was that it took away individual freedom and was therefore antithetical to democracy. In the international context of the 1920s and 1930s, Joseph Stalin's rise to power in the Soviet Union was seen by critics of communism as further evidence of its dangers.
In addition, many First World War veterans viewed the Russian Bolshevik armistice and treaty with Germany as a betrayal of the Allies since it broke the 4 September 1914 Triple Entente agreement not to conclude a separate peace with Germany or Austria-Hungary. The revolution also went against the notion that subjects should remain loyal to their rulers. In any case, the agreement took Russia out of the war and allowed Germany to reallocate troops from the eastern front to the western front, making life more difficult for Australian troops. Anger over Russia's withdrawal led the other Triple Entente members to invade Russia in support of the Russian tsar.
The 1930s was also the decade of the Great Depression, which caused extreme hardship around the world. Financial hardship in Australia meant that the possibility of popular uprisings did not seem then as distant and remote as it would now. The name New Guard, then, suggests not only the idea of guarding a set of values but also physically guarding the community, if necessary, against revolution. There is certainly some irony in this, given that the organisation went on to plot the forcible removal of Premier Jack Lang from office.
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