75 years of ANZUS Treaty

• Australia, New Zealand, and the United States marked the 75th anniversary of the signing of the ANZUS Treaty on September 1.

• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described it a cornerstone of Australia’s defence and security, and a foundation of enduring cooperation with the US and New Zealand.

What is ANZUS Treaty?

• The Australia, New Zealand and United States Security Treaty (ANZUS Treaty) was an agreement signed in 1951 to protect the security security throughout the Pacific region.

• The treaty requires signatories to consult in relation to any perceived threats to involved nations and to act to meet common dangers.

• Over the past years, the treaty has served primarily as an instrument of bilateral cooperation between the US and Australia, as well as a separate form of bilateral cooperation between Australia and New Zealand.

• For more than seven decades, the Alliance has underpinned peace, stability and prosperity in our region and continues to contribute to the region’s strategic balance. 

Signing of ANZUS Treaty

• At the onset of the Second World War, both Australia and New Zealand were members of the British Empire, so when Britain entered the conflict they did as well. 

• During the course of the war, these two geographically isolated nations faced the threat of direct attack.

• As the Japanese expanded south into the Pacific Ocean, mainland Australia and especially the city of Darwin suffered frequent Japanese air raids in 1942 and 1943.

• After the war, the governments of Australia and New Zealand remained concerned about the possibility of future Japanese expansionism and grew apprehensive about the rise of communism, particularly in East Asia.

• After the war, America wanted Japan to remain strong as a barrier to the spread of communism in East Asia. New Zealand and Australia worried that a resurgent Japan could again threaten the region. 

• Australia and New Zealand indicated they would support Japan’s rearmament, but only with agreement from the United States that it would assist them in the face of any hostility from another power. 

• Signed in San Francisco on September 1, 1951, the treaty came into force on April 29, 1952 and was designed to remain so indefinitely.