Tripartite Security Treaty
The Tripartite Security Treaty, also known as the ANZUS Treaty, is a defense agreement signed in 1951 between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Established during the early Cold War period, the treaty aimed to deter aggression from communist nations, particularly following the signing of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance by China and the Soviet Union in 1950 and the onset of the Korean War. The agreement emphasizes a collective responsibility to respond to armed attacks against any of the signatory nations or their territories, though it notably does not guarantee automatic military support for one another.
The treaty includes provisions for communication with the United Nations Security Council, allowing member countries to coordinate their response to aggression. Despite its intentions, the treaty has rarely been invoked as initially expected. A significant moment of tension arose in 1985 when Australia and the U.S. criticized New Zealand for denying entry to a U.S. naval vessel, which was suspected of carrying nuclear weapons. More recently, the events of September 11, 2001, prompted discussions about the treaty's application, though no direct military action was taken. The ANZUS Treaty remains a key element of defense cooperation in the Pacific region, reflecting the complexities of international relations during and after the Cold War.
Tripartite Security Treaty
Identification Defense pact signed by Australia, New Zealand, and the United States
Date Signed into law September 1, 1951; put into effect April 29, 1952
The Tripartite Security Treaty was the first international agreement to show military and political determination against communist aggression in Asia.
In February, 1950, the two largest communist countries, China and the Soviet Union , signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance. Four months later, North Korea’s army entered South Korea. To many observers, communist countries were moving quickly to fill a power vacuum in Asia.
To signal to the governments of China and the Soviet Union that the United States and its allies, Australia and New Zealand, would act together to stop aggressive acts against any of the three countries, a defense agreement was signed. To avoid the impression that the treaty dealt with the entire Pacific area, however, the agreement become known as the ANZUS treaty (an acronym formed from the initials of each of the three countries) in August, 1952, at the inaugural meeting of the council, a body that consisted of the countries’ foreign ministers or deputies and considered matters concerning the implementation of the treaty.
The fourth and fifth articles of the treaty provided that an armed attack on the territory of any signatory, or on an island territory under its jurisdiction, should be reported immediately to the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council. Until the Security Council acted, ANZUS countries were authorized to coordinate their own actions to meet aggression. However, the treaty made no guarantee that the signatory countries would come to one another’s aid in response to such attacks.
Impact
Adopted in the context of the Cold War, presumably to deter aggression from communist countries, the treaty and its fourth and fifth articles were never utilized as anticipated. In 1985, Australia and the United States considered New Zealand to have breached its ANZUS obligation by refusing to allow a port visit of an American naval vessel, which allegedly was carrying nuclear weapons. Although the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon of September 11, 2001, provided the first occasion for possible action under the treaty, no specific action was undertaken other than diplomatic consultations.
Bibliography
Bercovitch, Jacob, ed. ANZUS in Crisis: Alliance Management in International Affairs. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988. Analysis of the expulsion of New Zealand from the treaty in 1986.
Holdich, Roger, et al., eds. The ANZUS Treaty 1951. Canberra, Australia: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2001. Authoritative analysis of the tripartite treaty.