Outline of Lecture
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Introduction
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There are two things we as Americans should learn from a
study of the international relations of Australia
and New Zealand:
how to see ourselves as other nations do, and how nations that are not
great powers see their roles in world affairs.
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Imperial Origins
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Australia
and New Zealand began
their relations with the rest of the world as elements in the British Empire, with little say over what policy
would be. They sought consultation,
but largely were loyal supporters of British international policy.
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The Anzac
Legend
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The Great War saw a continuation of Australian and New Zealand
service in the cause of the empire, but it also precipitated a rethinking
of the imperial relationship and, more essentially, a formulation of
national identity. Australian and New Zealand
participation in the war was large and significant. Its legacy was a new way of enshrining
identity.
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Between the
Wars
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During the 1920s and 1930s Australia
and New Zealand
differentiated somewhat. Each national
considered its own response to developing affairs in Europe and Asia. Both
remained, as they saw it, largely dependent on the British military for
defense.
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World War II
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The Second World War called again for heavy
participation by Australia
and New Zealand. It had two powerful effects on their
conduct of foreign policy. First, it
put an end to faith in the British military for Australasian defense. Second, as Australia
and New Zealand came to
rely on the American alliance, they developed different relationships with
the U.S.
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The Cold War
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ANZUS was the formal alliance that embodied the defense
relationship with the U.S. As the response to the war in Vietnam showed, however, Australia was more committed to support of
American policy than was New
Zealand.
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The End of
History?
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The end of the Cold War offered both opportunities and
challenges to Australia
and New Zealand. Freed of continual concerns about the
crusade against communism, they had to forge new trade relationships,
establish their places in Asian and Pacific affairs, and consider the
ramifications of independence.
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