Commonwealth of Australia

### Language(s)

None (English is the *de facto* national language), Aboriginal languages (unofficial)

### Established

1901

The **Commonwealth of Australia** is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and one of the world's largest countries by total area. While they do not border any country directly, its closest neighboring countries are the Republic of Indonesia to the north, the Empire of Japan to the north-east; Reichskommissariat Madagaskar to the west, across the Indian Ocean, and New Zealand to the south-east. Australia's largest cities are Sydney and Melbourne. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Australia is currently a constitutional monarchy under a government led by the Australian Labor Party under Prime Minister Kim Beazley Sr.

## History

In 1939, Australia, at the time still part of the British Empire, entered World War II alongside its master and the rest of the Empire's colonies and dominions. While the situation in mainland Europe worsened day after day, the people of Australia began to grow discontent towards what many saw as a meaningless massacre, especially since the war theater was tens of thousands of miles away from the shores of the Australian continent. This assumption was soon proved wrong, when the Japanese declared war against the United States, dragging the entire Allies in the war against an enemy much, much closer than the Germans.

The Australian military fought with honor and determination, but in the end, it faced defeat after defeat alongside the British colonial troops, losing Malaysia, the Dutch East Indies, even New Guinea fell against the seemingly unstoppable Japanese advance. Right before the Japanese launched their attack on mainland Australia, which would have proved impossible to stop due to the inferiority in both numbers and equipment, the British Isles were invaded by the Germans.

Quick to act, the Australian government seized the chance and declared independence, therefore avoiding being dragged into the humiliating peace treaty its former master had to sign. Without the problem of the British, the Australians immediately put themselves under American protection. Their last hope was the United States, and their plan was dubbed Operation Downfall.

Operation Downfall was an ambitious project, which involved placing the majority of the United States naval capabilities into protecting Australia and New Zealand from the Japanese. This initiative proved fruitful, as the Japanese invasion would be fought off by the joint ANZAC-American forces, ending the war in the Pacific.

After the peace, Australia managed to retain its newfound independence, but new problems arose: with the fall of the Empire, the prosperous trade network Australia got most of its revenue from disappeared overnight, leaving thousands unemployed. Labor politics increased the public debt to enormous proportion, without the means to pay it. And finally, the Japanese may have been stopped, but they are far from defeated: even now, they plan their next move, trying to achieve what they failed in the last war. Whatever happens, Australia is in a dire situation, and it will take great efforts and reforms to resist the coming tide.

## Politics

### Overview

Australia is currently a constitutional monarchy under a government led by Prime Minister Kim Beazley Sr. The government is composed of the Australian Labor Party.

### Foreign relations

Australia has friendly relations with the United States due to mutual membership in the OFN and the protection from the Japanese.

Australia is a founding member of the Organization of Free Nations, led by the United States of America. It's an international alliance between the US, Australia, Canada, the West Indies Federation, Belize, Iceland, New Zealand, and Guyana. The alliance's main purpose is to promote democratic and Western influence across the globe, as well as securing the safety and sovereignty of Australasia and the Americas.

### Cabinet

**Head of government:** Prime Minister Harold Holt

### National spirits

* Production Efficiency Cap: **-10.00%**
* Factory Output: **-10.00%**
* Dockyard Output: **-10.00%**

 **White Australia Policy** | * Monthly Population: **-15.0%**
* Stability: **-20.00%**

 **Looming Japanese Threat** | * Division Defense on core territory: **+5.0%**

 **Unpopular Draft** | * Stability: **-10.00%**
* War Support: **-20.00%**

Draft an Australian to protect the continent and he will give his life without a second thought. Draft an Australian to protect the Free World and he will grumble lightly, before marching off to wherever he is needed. Draft an Australian for no good reason, however, and the first thing on his mind will be "What am I lugging twenty bloomin' pounds of kit for, then?". Indeed, this question has been asked by many such Australians as of late, as the opposition to the National Service Act grows by the day...