Friendly Fire Nuclear Politics & the Collapse of ANZUS, 1984–1987

In 1984, the newly elected Labour Government’s antinuclear policy collided with a United States foreign policy based on nuclear deterrence. After two years of angry meetings, fraught diplomacy, and free-wheeling press conferences, this outbreak of “friendly fire” led to the unraveling of the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS) military alliance, established in 1951. Based on previously classified government files in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom as well as interviews with key protagonists and the author’s own involvement in events, this account tells the inside story of this dramatic confrontation. This is the definitive account of a key turning point in New Zealand history and a dramatic story of powerful personalities tackling critical questions on the world stage.

Gerald Hensley was appointed New Zealand Secretary of Defence in 1991 and retired from the public service in 1999, when he was honored with the Companion New Zealand Order of Merit. He is the author of several books, including Beyond the Battlefield, which was a finalist in the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Awards.