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Article: The bureaucracy's control over the Australian defence force.
- Article from:
- National Observer - Australia and World Affairs
- Article date:
- September 22, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Council for the National Interest. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Before Federation, Australia relied almost totally on British Empire mechanisms for strategic guidance and force-structuring. A measure of Australian strategic decision-making and force-structuring occurred over the next decade. The creation of a national army in 1901 and a quasi-independent navy in 1911 generated comprehensive debate as to their purpose and control between the "imperial defence" and "home defence" camps. (1)
World War I, especially Australia's wish to articulate a position at Versailles in 1919, introduced the Australian Government to a further measure of strategic decision-making. However, in the final analysis, Australia's continuing and ...