About this episode

This episode explores the origins and evolution of the ANZUS treaty and its implications for Australia and the United States.

The ANZUS treaty might be based more on cynical self-interest than a shared system of democratic values. In this episode of The Alliance mini-series, Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue trace the origins of Australia's most important strategic partnership and examine how it has evolved through the Cold War, Vietnam, the War on Terror and the rise of China. Historian Michael Wesley and U.S. politics scholar Timothy Lynch explore why ANZUS was created, why Washington wanted the deal in the first place, and whether the alliance has always been far less certain than Australians assume. They also examine the key tension between Australia's fear of being abandoned in a time of conflict, and the United States' fear of being entangled in a war it doesn't want or need. As Donald Trump forces allies around the world to question old assumptions, the discussion turns to whether Australia still needs to prove its value to Washington, or whether its geography, intelligence facilities and strategic position make it more important to the United States than many Australians realise. At 75, ANZUS remains a cornerstone of Australian foreign policy. But is the alliance stronger, more flexible and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Geraldine Doogue, Hamish Macdonald

Guests: Michael Wesley, Timothy J. Lynch

Topics covered

• ANZUS treaty
• Australia-US relations
• strategic partnerships
• Cold War history
• foreign policy
• military alliances

Keywords

• ANZUS
• Australia
• United States
• strategic partnership
• foreign policy
• military alliance
• Cold War
• Vietnam
• War on Terror

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Melbourne, ANZUS

Places: Australia, United States

More episodes of Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

• How Giorgia Meloni built Italy's most stable government since Mussolini · September 8, 2026 · 29 min
• The AfD are winning elections: Is the German far-right back? · September 7, 2026 · 29 min
• Is China gutting Germany's car industry while Trump grades NATO on loyalty? · September 6, 2026 · 29 min
• The Alliance | Does the US value Australia? · September 3, 2026 · 29 min
• The Alliance | Has Australia sold its sovereignty to the US? · September 2, 2026 · 29 min
• The Alliance | If the US and China go to war, whose side are we on? Kevin Rudd answers · September 1, 2026 · 40 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald podcast page.