A country's foreign policy is only partly the result of decisions made by its government: it is mainly imposed by circumstances.
             Australia, during the last fifty years, has been a country unsure of its place in the world. She has been bouncing from ally to ally, begging for a place under their umbrella of protection, ignoring and denying her place in the Asian region, and struggling to find a foreign policy that is in the best interest of her welfare and security. Australia truly finds herself, pardon the pun, 'stuck on a rock in a hard place.'
             The Asian region in the past half-century has been an atmosphere of turmoil and unrest. Communism threatened Australia's way of life and the fragile nation that had been preserved so carefully. These threats were very real and right at Australia's doorstep. "The Australian continent is nearly indefensible," and Australia realized this fact. Ideas such as 'yellow peril' and 'forward defense' dominated the headlines during these turbulent times. Australia's small army and enormous size made it a good target for attack. Not to mention the fact that Australia still: "...carried the burden of blame for its past and present racial policies" toward Asia. A foreign policy, that could ensure Australia's safety, was needed in a hurry.
             In the following pages I will attempt to show how the Australian foreign policy has evolved due to four different circumstances. First, I will examine the way Australia reluctantly turned away from the United Kingdom and towards the United States for security and protection as a result of turmoil in Asia. Secondly, I will attempt to show how the Communist scare from China and elsewhere, along with the Korean War changed the face of Australian foreign policy forever. Third, I want to show how the Vietnam War was a time of realization and change for Australian foreign policy....