|
Independent Nation: The Evolution of Australian Foreign Policy 1901-1946: Australia, the British Empire and the Origins of Australian-Indonesian Relations
Adam Henry
This book traces the evolution of a new independence of thought displayed by the Australian government towards foreign policy, and in particular towards its relations with Indonesia, after the Second World War. During the period 1901–1941 two distinct ideologies had formed over Australian strategic policies: pro-Imperial and self reliance. The Second World War challenged previously sacrosanct expectations regarding Australia’s military relationship with the United Kingdom. With the Fall of Singapore in 1942 Australia was forced to contemplate the implications of national self defence and its own regional interests. Shaped by the experiences of war, alternative foreign and strategic policies were explored that challenged previous assumptions.
The emergence of widespread Indonesian nationalism after the Second World War meant that the possible regional security benefits of Dutch rule in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) diminished. Yet Dutch failure to provide security against Japanese aggression during the Second World War was exacerbated by their post-war misjudgements and inflexibility toward the Indonesian Republicans. These two factors greatly influenced Australian post-war policies toward the NEI. From an initial position of concerned neutrality, the Chifley government shifted to supporting the Indonesian nationalists. This new independence of thought was shaped by the failure of the pro-Imperial ideal in 1942, diplomatic reconstruction (1942-1945) and a post-war ambition of middle power diplomacy through the United Nations.
This book is based on Adam’s MA Hons thesis at Macquarie University, Sydney. Based at the Research School of Social Sciences (Department of History) at the Australian National University, Canberra, he is currently researching Australian foreign debates and attitudes in the 1950s and 1960s.
You may also be interested in:
The Crisis in Timor-Leste: Understanding the Past, Imagining the Future
Dennis Shoesmith (ed)
ISBN 9780980384628
Democratic Governance in Timor-Leste: Reconciling the Local and the National
David Mearns (ed)
ISBN 9780980457834
To order online now, click [Add to Cart].
Ready to confirm your order? Click on [Checkout].
For more information about ordering CDU Press titles, including discounts for bulk orders, go to the [How to Order] page or email CDU Press (cdupress@cdu.edu.au).
Subscribe to our emailing list to keep up-to-date with new and forthcoming CDU Press titles - email us at CDU Press.
(Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view pdf files. Get Adobe Acrobat reader.)
|