ANZUS and a nuclear free New Zealand, 1972-1987

ANZUS and a Nuclear Free New Zealand describes how New Zealand's most important Security Treaty has survived against efforts to establish a nuclear free zone around New Zealand and in the South Pacific. The origins of the Treaty are discussed in detail, and we discover that the impetus for establishing the treaty did not come from the United States, as many New Zealanders believe, but from the New Zealand and Australian Governments. When the Treaty was negotiated, we must remember the world was a very different place, the greatest war in man's history was still a vivid memory, and the misery of the war years were still evident. New Zealand did not blindly seek a security guarantee from the United States, they intentionally sought an agreement and hoped that they would never again be left alone to defend themselves as they had been for a time in 1942. Although ANZUS' importance was never questioned during the 1950s and early 1960s, the alliance remained relatively untapped, and instead New Zealand concentrated on helping to preserve peace in Asia. Although many claim that New Zealand's involvement in Vietnam was because of our alliance with the United States, this is not so, in fact it was our membership of the South-East-Asian Treaty Organisation that made us contribute forces to that conflict. In fact, the only thing we tended to discuss with the United States during the 1960s at ANZUS Council Meetings was how the alliance could be rejuvenated. However, New Zealand was active during the 1960s in calling for increased nuclear disarmament and arms control measures. It was also in the 1960s that New Zealand first registered its protests against the French testing their nuclear weapons in the South Pacific. This dominated New Zealand's interests for many years, and it was not until 1975 that the French Government announced that atmospheric nuclear testing would cease. The 1970s were dominated by discussing the establishment of a nuclear free zone in the South Pacific, ship visits from our nuclear allies, and attempts to establish a New Zealand nuclear free zone. However, 1984 marked a watershed in these policies. Within three years, ANZUS had ceased to exist as an operative alliance, the South Pacific was a nuclear free zone, and New Zealand had legislated to establish New Zealand as a nuclear free state. Many see these years as revolutionary, and in this thesis I shall give you a chance to decide whether or not this is the case