Foreign Affairs
Afghanistan, the Soviet Union and the Olympics boycott
Australia reacted very strongly to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979. Prime Minister
Malcolm Fraser and Foreign Affairs Minister Andrew Peacock said that the invasion was totally without
justification, a violation of everything that the United Nations stood for and a mode of behaviour that
made normal relations between nations totally impossible. A major element of Australian foreign policy
during 1980 consisted of looking for ways to express our extreme displeasure at the invasion, without
unduly prejudicing Australia’s economic and strategic interests (Decision 10552).
At the end of January 1980 Fraser set off for Washington and European capitals to discuss the implications
of the Soviet invasion. Fraser told Cabinet that all leaders shared the United States’ (US) concern about
Afghanistan and there was considerable support for President Carter’s call to boycott the 1980 Moscow
Olympics. The United States had welcomed Australia’s public support, but this support would need to
be demonstrated by increased defence cooperation and assistance, including the provision of facilities
in Australia for US forces and a more active Australian defence effort in the Indian Ocean (Decisions
10687 and 10688). Australia strongly supported moves to boycott the Moscow Olympics and to hold
an alternative ‘free world games’, to be shared between several cities. Australia’s share might include
hockey in Perth and shooting in Brisbane, although the Victorian government suggested Melbourne as a
venue for the whole games. However, expectations of major alternative events gradually diminished as it
became clear that most countries would go to Moscow.
From February the Government urged the Australian Olympic Federation (AOF) not to send a team
to Moscow and it also approached the controlling bodies of individual sports. In the end the hockey,
shooting, yachting and equestrian teams withdrew, but the AOF decided on 23 May by six votes to five
that it would send a team to Moscow. Fraser made a personal appeal to AOF members, in the course
of which he is reported to have said that there might be a world war within three years. 120 Australian
athletes competing in 17 sports went to Moscow. They won two gold, two silver and five bronze medals,
the golds going to Michelle Ford in the women’s 800 metre freestyle and to the Brooks/Kerry/Evans/
Tonelli team in the men’s 4 x 100 metre medley (Memorandum 599 and Decisions 10951 and 11741).
The most delicate decisions lay in the trade area, particularly in relation to Australia’s substantial wheat
and wool sales to the Soviet Union. Australia was keen to support strong US action, but concerned that
it did not lose its wheat export markets. In January Cabinet decided that the US ban on wheat sales did
not apply to Australia’s existing 1979–80 contract. Australia also wanted assurances that other countries
would not fill the gap left by an Australian ban and that the 17 million tons of US wheat withheld
from the Soviet Union would not find its way into Australia’s traditional markets. On 3 June Cabinet
considered a US request that major grain exporters halve their exports to the Soviet Union in 1980–81.
The request had not been well received by other exporters and the European Community had suggested
instead that exports merely be held to 1979–80 levels, which in Australia’s case was 3.9 million tonnes.
Cabinet favoured the latter solution, provided that all exporters adhered to it and that US wheat withheld
from the Soviet Union did not distort markets elsewhere (Submission 4067).
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
9
Selected documents
Decision 10552, 9 January 1980, Australian response to Soviet intervention in Afghanistan
11
Decision 10687, 12 February 1980, Without submission – report of the Prime Minister’s
overseas visit
20
Decision 10688, 12 February 1980, Without submission – 1980 Olympic Games
22
Memorandum 599, 4 March 1980, Discussion paper on Olympic Boycott
25
Decision 10951, 25 March 1980, Without submission – Olympic Boycott
32
Decision 11741, 26 May 1980, Without submission – Olympic Games Boycott
35
Submission 4067, 30 May 1980, Afghanistan: grain sales to the Soviet Union 1980–81
37
10
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Decision 10552, Australian response to Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, NAA: A13075, 10552
[1]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
11
Decision 10552 cont.
[2]
12
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Decision 10552 cont.
[3]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
13
Decision 10552 cont.
[4]
14
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Decision 10552 cont.
[5]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
15
Decision 10552 cont.
[6]
16
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Decision 10552 cont.
[7]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
17
Decision 10552 cont.
[8]
18
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Decision 10552 cont.
[9]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
19
Decision 10687, Report of the Prime Minister’s overseas visit, NAA: A13075, 10687
[1]
20
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Decision 10687 cont.
[2]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
21
Decision 10688, 1980 Olympic Games, NAA: A13075, 10688
[1]
22
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Decision 10688 cont.
[2]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
23
Decision 10688 cont.
[3]
24
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Memorandum 599, Discussion paper on Olympic boycott, NAA: A12930, 599
[5]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
25
Memorandum 599 cont.
[6]
26
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Memorandum 599 cont.
[7]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
27
Memorandum 599 cont.
[8]
28
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Memorandum 599 cont.
[9]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
29
Memorandum 599 cont.
[10]
30
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Memorandum 599 cont.
[11]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
31
Decision 10951, Olympic Boycott, NAA: A13075, 10951
[1]
32
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Decision 10951 cont.
[2]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
33
Decision 10951 cont.
[3]
34
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Decision 11741, Olympic Games Boycott, NAA: A13075, 11741
[1]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
35
Decision 11741 cont.
[2]
36
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Submission 4067, Afghanistan: grain sales to the Soviet Union, 1980–81, NAA: A12909, 4067
[3]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
37
Submission 4067 cont.
[4]
38
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Submission 4067 cont.
[5]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
39
Submission 4067 cont.
[6]
40
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Submission 4067 cont.
[7]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
41
Submission 4067 cont.
[8]
42
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Submission 4067 cont.
[9]
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS
43
Submission 4067 cont.
[10]
44
1980 CABINET RECORDS – SELECTED DOCUMENTS