Non-alignment and Peace Versus Military Alignment and War

Arguing that the relationship between Australia and India has greater significance than previously recognized, this study looks at the ties between the two countries in the years 1947–1975 and draws attention to the impact of personality on foreign policy. The discussion credits the warmth and openness between Australian prime minister Gough Whitlaw and Indian leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi for the bilateralism that blossomed between India and Australia during the cold war period and led to an Australian foreign policy more attuned to regional factors and less tied to alliances with Britain and the United States. The analysis concludes that this adjustment has benefited both countries and at the same time has improved the effectiveness of Western diplomatic efforts in the Pacific.