AHC: Neutral Australia
- Thread starter Crying
- Start date
Maybe they could stay close to Britain who lead a third party or a non aligned group. Smarter decolonisation could put India in this group,whether it would become a third party or truly neutral group is tougher though,but this puts Australia outside of IUs or soviet influence.
Rainbow Warrior type incident happens between the US and Australia.
That'd be all it takes. Australia isn't a part of NATO so just having chilly relations with the US would make it non-aligned for all intents and purposes, because the US is the only western power there with any clout after the 1960s or so when Britain withdraws from the region. Bonus points if a Republic referendum succeeds and they adopt the Golden Wattle flag, and there you have a nondescript, non aligned, antipodean Republic that occasionally shows up in Eurovision.
That'd be all it takes. Australia isn't a part of NATO so just having chilly relations with the US would make it non-aligned for all intents and purposes, because the US is the only western power there with any clout after the 1960s or so when Britain withdraws from the region. Bonus points if a Republic referendum succeeds and they adopt the Golden Wattle flag, and there you have a nondescript, non aligned, antipodean Republic that occasionally shows up in Eurovision.
Tha's a bit more than I was looking for, but it does complete the challenge. Technically. Something worth thinking about. Thanks.
There are two big problems with this. One, in order to have the US start trying to (even low level) sabotage Australia, you'd probably need the two countries to already have worse relations than they did in OTL. Two, even if this did happen, I don't feel like it would cause Australia to go neutral - they'd distance themselves from the US, maybe even break ANZUS, but they would still be very anti-Communist and would try to oppose the spreading of the ideology.
I mean, it could work, don't get me wrong. But I don't quite feel like it would be the most... fluid course for events to take.
The US promulgated the Guam Doctrine in about 1969 despite Australia being in Vietnam to keep them engaged in the region and the British accelerated the withdrawal East of Suez at the same time throwing doubts on the usefulness of these alliances. With the election of the Whitlam government in late 72 this might cause a break from old policies and lead to Non-alignment, although where Australia sources its defence equipment and the cost of maintaining a large defence establishment would be a hurdle needing to be cleared.
We might even have to make a token equipment purchase from the Soviets just to show that we aren't totally aligned with the West despite getting most or all of out military equipment from the US, Britain and France.
We might even have to make a token equipment purchase from the Soviets just to show that we aren't totally aligned with the West despite getting most or all of out military equipment from the US, Britain and France.
A weaker and less threatening Japanese performance during WWII. No Fall of Singapore or bombings on Australian soil.
If Australia doesn't feel vulnerable or exposed with Britain being tied down in Europe and unable to defend Australia, it might not be driven towards the US.
Post war with Britain withdrawing from the Far East and Australia being more confident than OTL, it might take a similar position as a neutral Scandinavian country in international diplomacy.
If Australia doesn't feel vulnerable or exposed with Britain being tied down in Europe and unable to defend Australia, it might not be driven towards the US.
Post war with Britain withdrawing from the Far East and Australia being more confident than OTL, it might take a similar position as a neutral Scandinavian country in international diplomacy.
I don't see the anarchists or M-Ls having the Union power of the CPA 1946-1949 to force an M-L equivalent of Tankie Australia under extended Whitlam.
This means that the neutral alignment needs to come from within the ALP. And remember that folks like Bob Hawke had already been turned by the CIA, and that Whitlam was on the right of the ALP.
Neutral IWW Australia / Tankie Australia seem more a go than M-L Australia.
(For those not in the know Tankie Australia posits the resolution of CPA / ALP tensions in the 1940s with a Liberal-National style coalition and the ACTU unions running the real politics from below)
Yours,
Sam R.
This means that the neutral alignment needs to come from within the ALP. And remember that folks like Bob Hawke had already been turned by the CIA, and that Whitlam was on the right of the ALP.
Neutral IWW Australia / Tankie Australia seem more a go than M-L Australia.
(For those not in the know Tankie Australia posits the resolution of CPA / ALP tensions in the 1940s with a Liberal-National style coalition and the ACTU unions running the real politics from below)
Yours,
Sam R.