what was the war between Australia and Vietnam called

Then Australian Prime Minister John Howard did this in 2001 as a response to the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, leading to Australia’s involvement in the United States led ‘War on Terror’.Īustralia’s commitment to other US-led causes such as the Vietnam War, while not formalised under ANZUS, have been linked to the treaty. Signed in San Francisco on 1 September 1951, the treaty came into force on 29 April 1952 and was designed to remain so indefinitely.ĭespite being in operation for more than 60 years, the ANZUS treaty has only been formally invoked once.

While it actively campaigned to become a joint signatory to the treaty however, the US, Australia and New Zealand refused to be moved on the issue. Britain believed that, as the head of the Commonwealth, it should be included. The negotiation of ANZUS was the first instance of Australia forming a political alliance without the involvement of Britain, causing some tension with ‘the motherland’. Australia and New Zealand proposed the ANZUS Treaty and the United States eventually accepted despite some initial reluctance. Australia and New Zealand indicated they would support Japan’s rearmament, but only with agreement from the United States that it would assist them in the face of any hostility from another power. This situation did however present an opportunity. Australia was wary of this approach, especially in light of the Japanese attacks on Australian soil during the war.

The Australian Government was worried that with America, Britain and a number of other European countries forming the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949, Australia’s main allies would focus on European interests to the detriment of the security of the Pacific.īoth Australia and New Zealand felt that to achieve ongoing security and peace in the region, they needed to partner with the United States.ĭespite Japan’s status as an Allied enemy during the war, in the late 1940s and very early 1950s the United States was looking to rearm the nation to allow it to assist in preventing the spread of communism. In the wake of the Second World War and facing the rise of communism in China and Korea, Australia and New Zealand became concerned about the political situation in the Pacific region.

The 73-metre-high Australian–American Memorial built to commemorate America’s role in the Pacific War

What was the war between Australia and Vietnam called