Australia and America

The visit of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia to Washington has taken place underneath much of the U.S. media radar, receiving relatively little attention. Smaller nations generally experience that fate, especially currently with our overriding focus on large-scale global economic turmoil.
This is unfortunate, because Australia is an especially valuable ally for the United States. The foreign policy approach of the former British colony and current British Commonwealth partner directly parallels London’s very long-term commitment to cooperation with Washington.
The nation occupies a distinctive position in Asia, well positioned to take advantage of the enormous economic development now well underway throughout the vast region. In recent decades, protectionist barriers have been greatly reduced. At least as important, exclusionism on racial grounds and at least an undercurrent of implicit racism in national policy has dramatically faded.
Australia also has a relatively strong economy, though the global recession hit late last year. Rudd defends the aggressive Washington approach to economic stimulus, in contrast to some European leaders. Moreover, Rudd is an exceptionally articulate speaker, on a par with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in his remarkably capacity persuasively to defend American as well as Australian policies.
The Aussie-American special relationship dates from the crucible of World War II and arguably military security is the most crucial dimension. In that struggle, the enormous Japanese military drive south was finally blunted just short of Australia. Jungle savvy Australian troops provided vital support to generally inexperienced Americans.
As with South Korea, the Vietnam War greatly strengthened partnership even while straining relations with Britain and other allies. A total of fifty thousand Australian military personnel served in Vietnam; five hundred twenty were killed and two thousand four hundred wounded. Reflecting personnel pressures, Australia reintroduced military conscription in 1964.
In October 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson became the first U.S. president to visit Australia, underscoring cooperation with the government of Prime Minister Harold Holt. This characteristically very dramatic LBJ expedition was also undertaken to cast the Vietnam War in global terms, as a centerpiece of the Cold War struggle.
Australian military professionals gained very useful guerrilla war experience during the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960. The British colonial government employed forces from throughout the British Empire and Commonwealth against the Malayan National Liberation Army. The insurgency was finally successfully suppressed, confirming in this case the value of long-term patience in employing sustained, carefully directed military force.
President Richard M. Nixon and national security adviser Henry Kissinger made a special effort to apply Malaya insights to Vietnam. Sir Robert Thompson, a highly respected British guerrilla warfare expert, was consulted and provided an encouraging estimate of the prospects of the South Vietnamese military.
Gen. Creighton Abrams after succeeding Gen. William Westmoreland as Vietnam commander redirected U.S. forces away from massive search-and-destroy operations to small unit actions, reflecting the Malaya-style strategy already being employed by Australian and also New Zealand troops. While the Vietnam War ultimately was won by Hanoi, the very long-term conflict nevertheless significantly strengthened ties between Australia and the U.S., especially among career military and civilian government professionals.
The ongoing global financial crisis and recession understandably dominate the headlines. In this regard, Australia provides a useful bridge between developed and developing nations, reflecting the history as well as geographic location of the nation.
However, Australia’s current and potential role is much more important in the military realm. Terrorist groups including al Qaeda remain a major menace in international terms, and notably in Southeast Asia. The insurgency in Afghanistan has been growing stronger. President Obama’s very public emphasis on the importance of alliances and a multilateral approach to the world could strengthen the Australia-America relationship even further in the context of wider cooperation in Asia.
Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College in Wisconsin and author of ‘After the Cold War’ (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). He can be reached at acyr@carthage.edu