Nationhood
ANZUS treaty
29 April 1952
Australia, New Zealand and the United States agree to a formal security and defence treaty.
At the height of the Cold War, Australia, New Zealand and the United States agreed to the ANZUS treaty – an agreement to cooperate on security and defence matters. The ANZUS treaty continues to be the foundation of our defence relationship with the United States.
As the Korean War raged and the Cold War threatened to become a full-scale war, Australia, New Zealand and the United States agreed that an attack on any one of them would endanger the peace and safety of the others. The treaty came about following the close cooperation of the 3 countries in the Pacific during the Second World War.
Signed on 1 September 1951, the treaty came into force on 29 April 1952. The ANZUS Treaty was formally invoked – used – for the first time on 14 September 2001 in response to the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001.
‘Tripartite security pact. (A.N.Z.U.S.)’ Department of External Affairs file
National Archives of Australia, NAA 1838, TS686/1
‘Tripartite security pact. (A.N.Z.U.S.)’ Department of External Affairs file
National Archives of Australia, NAA 1838, TS686/1
Description
This file about the ANZUS treaty was produced by the Department of External Affairs. The treaty is an agreement between Australia, New Zealand and the United States about security and defence. The file is labelled ‘TOP SECRET.’ It is held in the National Archives of Australia.