In 1951 Australia signed the ANZUS treaty – a three-way defence pact between Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America. This treaty marked a critical change in Australia’s foreign policy.

Despite Federation in 1901, Australia had retained close ties to Great Britain, with colonial troops springing to the defence of the ‘mother country’ in the Boer War, World War I and World War II. Much of Australia’s political culture and social system was modelled on that of Great Britain and the two countries shared a strong trade relationship.
In World War II however, when Australia faced the threat of invasion from Japan, it was the United States of America, not Great Britain who sent troops to our shores.

As the British Empire strained under the horrific cost of World War II and postcolonial struggles, the United States firmly established itself as one of the ‘world powers’.

With growing communist agitation in South East Asia, Australia was acutely aware of its isolation in the Pacific region and sought to gain protection from powerful international allies.

While the ANZUS Treaty did not commit the USA to intervening in the event of an attack on Australia or New Zealand, it was hailed as a great diplomatic success for Australia.

The treaty has since been used to justify Australian involvement in a range of conflicts including the Vietnam War, the Korean War and the War on Terror. While New Zealand withdrew from the pact in the 1980s, Australia continues zealously support American foreign policy, with a view to its own defence.

Submitted by Kimberley