It has been said that the principal aim of Australian foreign policy during the inter-war years was to preserve peace, and its secondary objective was to ensure that if war came, the Empire was well prepared. The logic behind this was that the League of Nations could not be trusted, but the Empire could. Australia had matured greatly as a result of the Great War, and was now recognised internationally as a more independent, developing nation, which was a result of Hughes' efforts at the Paris peace conference. However, its links to the British Empire were still very much prevalent and as will be seen this was to have a profou

In the late 1930's, Australia was promoting the adoption of a policy of economic appeasement as a means of bringing about world peace. However, as one can see, the inconsistency between this ideal and the reality surrounding the Trade Division policy in regards Japan is too obvious.

During the inter-war period, Australia's role in international affairs was affected both by a reluctance to become involved in another conflict as well as our heavy reliance on British imperial policy. The overriding responsibility of any Australian government during this period was to ensure that the government of the United Kingdom with its manifold preoccupation nearer home, did not neglect Australian interests in the Pacific.

During the inter-war years, Australia was rearming along with the rest of the empire in order to achieve some form of security and peace. In 1936, Japan failed to resign the Washington Treaties which were in place to curb the naval arms race. The Australian reaction to this was to independently propose a Pacific non-aggression pact in 1937 at the last Imperial Conference. The Australian government believed that this pact should be 'in conformity with the spirit, but outside the authority of the League.' The aim of which was essentially twofold, to neutralise Japan and to involve the United States. The plan eventually proved fruitless, however Starke has made the point that 'public notice was served to the world that Australia now felt she had a primary independent role to play in the Pacific.'

Australia's lack of a solid, independent foreign policy during the 1930's was to have dire consequences for her during World War Two. Her lack of vision ensured that she was to follow the advice and foreign affairs of the Mother Country, until 1937 when she independently proposed the Pacific Pact. However, by this time, world events had reached the stage that it was irrelevant whatever stance Australia took, she was still bound to follow the lead of Britain.

As a developing nation, we were so reliant on British advice that we were led in to a false sense of security regarding threats to our Pacific region. This was highlighted by the failure of the Singapore strategy in which we had placed so much faith. Once the Australian governments of the time realised that British interests were dominated by European affairs, they decided to appease Japan in order that she might move north-west instead of south, but messed this up by offending Japan with the Trade Diversion policy in1936.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Britain Australia, United Kingdom, Europe' Mansergh, Hitler Mussolini, Trade Diversion, Commonwealth Anglo-Australian, Consequently Australia's, Conference Australian, Millar Australian, Japan Australian, foreign policy, policy appeasement, european affairs, foreign policies, australia's foreign, pacific region, australian foreign policy, united kingdom, policy advice, foreign affairs, australian government, rearming rest empire, foreign policy advice, rest empire achieve, australia foreign policy,
Approximate Word count = 2092
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)