Almost 70 years ago, former PM Menzies made the same hard-headed calculation Anthony Albanese is making today on military alliances. But now, as then, there’s risk.
When Robert Menzies rose to his feet to announce the findings of a defence policy review in April 1957, our most royalist of prime ministers shoved sentiment aside to declare the military would shift to predominantly sourcing American arms.
Menzies made the hard-headed strategic calculation that Australia’s geographic location and treaty obligations under both ANZUS and to South-East Asia (SEATO) meant “that in the event of war we will be fighting side by side with the United States”.
Andrew TillettForeign affairs, defence correspondentAndrew Tillett writes on politics, foreign affairs, defence and security from the Canberra press gallery. Connect with Andrew on Facebook and Twitter. Email Andrew at andrew.tillett@afr.com
