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Australia's Strategy
Australia
is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, ranked in the top 10
in gross domestic product per capita. It is one of the most isolated
major countries in the world; it occupies an entire united continent, is
difficult to invade and rarely is threatened. Normally, we would not
expect a relatively well-off and isolated country to have been involved
in many wars. This has not been the case for Australia and, more
interesting, it has persistently not been the case, even under a variety
of governments. Ideology does not explain the phenomenon in this
instance.
Since 1900, Australia has engaged in several wars and other military or security interventions (including the Boer War, World War I, World War II and the wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq) lasting about 40 years total. Put another way, Australia has been at war for more than one-third of the time since the Commonwealth of Australia was established in 1901. In only one of these wars, World War II, was its national security directly threatened, and even then a great deal of its fighting was done in places such as Greece and North Africa rather than in direct defense of Australia. This leaves us to wonder why a country as wealthy and seemingly secure as Australia would have participated in so many conflicts. Read More »
Comments? Send them to responses@stratfor.com
Since 1900, Australia has engaged in several wars and other military or security interventions (including the Boer War, World War I, World War II and the wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq) lasting about 40 years total. Put another way, Australia has been at war for more than one-third of the time since the Commonwealth of Australia was established in 1901. In only one of these wars, World War II, was its national security directly threatened, and even then a great deal of its fighting was done in places such as Greece and North Africa rather than in direct defense of Australia. This leaves us to wonder why a country as wealthy and seemingly secure as Australia would have participated in so many conflicts. Read More »
Comments? Send them to responses@stratfor.com
