Australia’s Naval Alliances

Australia has long relied on powerful allies for naval defence. This book offers an incisive and engaging analysis of the changing role of Australia’s navy. In the colonial period and into the 1930s, it contributed to the defence of the British Empire and Australians were assured that they could rely on the Royal Navy for protection. In 1941 everything changed. Australia confronted threats in its own backyard and repeated Admiralty undertakings to despatch capital ships to the region were not honoured. In 1942, Australia formed a new alliance with the United States. Its recently acquired membership of the AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, United States) alliance, which will inevitably be dominated by the United States, will involve risks. Alliances can be fragile and an ally can prove unreliable. The interests of the junior partner might be overlooked. The earlier mantra – “the British Empire, right or wrong” – might give place to “the United States, right or wrong.”