"Australia looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the United Kingdom" . Curtin's historic speech of December 1941 marked a radical change in Australian foreign policy and the beginning of what would become a "dynamic alliance relationship" . The Australian-U.S relationship has, since it was formally established, undergone amazing transformations to become an alliance of several facets.

In 1941 Australia turned to America for protection, primarily due to a fear mentality in Australian society: that of invasion from our Asian counterparts. Therefore, initially the alliance was formed from a simple military request, however, it evolved to a multi-dimensional alliance, partnership and friendship encompassing trade, security, and cultural and diplomatic links.

Of the several components of the relationship (military, trade and diplomacy), the military aspect formed the basis for the concordance and was integral to Australia's survival. The alliance, formed during World War Two, has been fortified and developed through much conflict; "in this century our bonds have truly been forged in the fires of w

Trade and diplomacy are arguably less important than security, however, they are both imperative to the prosperity of the partnership. Although the trade relationship obviously looms larger for Australia, the commercial relationship is vital to both countries' economies. The United States is Australia's second largest trading partner and largest investment partner. In 1996 Australian imports from the U.S stood at $18 billion, while Australian exports to the U.S were valued at $5 billion. This created a bilateral trade deficit of approximately $13.1 billion . Regardless, America is a key export market for Australia and "has remained a major destination for our traditional agricultural exports" plus such things as motor vehicle parts, bauxite and office equipment. Australia's long trading history with the U.S has generally been uncontroversial, however, in 1985 the U.S introduced export subsidies, instituted through their Export Enhancement Program (E.E.P), which meant that the U.S was undercutting Australian prices in traditional Australian markets. A continuing source of friction, compounded by quotas on what they import, Australian access to the U.S markets are severely limited, as evidenced by the 40% lamb tariffs this year.

The U.S has responded to world events by adopting a Foreign Policy stance, and Australia has generally responded in a similar fashion, often in complete agreement. Such events/views include: opposition to Soviet uprise in Eastern Europe, support for the Truman Doctrine, belief in the 'Domino Theory', and more recently, support for NATO in the Balkans. These and many other events, and America's response to them, have all influenced the formulation and implementation of Australian Foreign Policy with the U.S since 1941.

The effects on different aspects of, and groups within, Australia have generally been positive. The effect on the public has been positive, due to the usually uncontroversial nature of Foreign Policy, with the exception of the division in society during Vietnam. The effect of the alliance on the media, which influences the public, has been the positive portrayal of the relationship, especially as much of the world information we receive comes from America and is, arguably, biased. The effect on the Australian military has been largely positive, with joint military training exercises, intelligence sharing and weaponry advancements. However, our dependence on the U.S has led to the neglection of our defence forces. There have been disastrous effects on Australian farmers, fueled by America's E.E.P and import quotas; "the U.S.A has virtually declared war on Australian wheat growers" . On the economy, the effect has been both positive and negative; American investment has been and still is extremely positive and a vital part of our economy, although this is overshadowed by the fact that a $6 billion trade deficit exists.

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Approximate Word count = 2242
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)