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14 - Roads not taken

Australian peacekeepers in the former Yugoslavia, 1991–96

from Part 4 - Former Yugoslavia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2022

David Horner
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
John Connor
Affiliation:
University of New South Wales, Sydney
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Summary

For a decade and a half, beginning in 1990, successive Australian governments struggled to respond to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia (see map 11). For various reasons, throughout this time Australia was extremely reluctant to contribute to the international peacekeeping forces that had been established there. The region was remote from Australia, the government thought that with the conflict on its doorstep the European Community should have borne the main burden, Australia had greater concerns closer to home and was committing forces elsewhere, often there was no actual peace to keep and, most importantly, the government did not wish to inflame ethnic tensions in Australia. Nonetheless, an analysis of why Australia declined to take part in certain missions is important in any history of Australian peacekeeping. What were the competing arguments put forward by the government's senior ministers and their departments? How much weight should Australia place on being a good international citizen? What was the effect of Australia's alliances and international responsibilities?

Although Australia resisted most requests to send forces to the former Yugoslavia, between 1992 and 2004 more than 260 Australian military personnel actually served there. About sixty of these served between 1992 and 1996, either as part of the UN Protection Force (Unprofor) or as exchange officers with American, British or Canadian units serving with various international forces. This chapter is concerned with the experiences of these personnel between 1992 and 1996, as well as why they were sent and why others were not.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Good International Citizen
Australian Peacekeeping in Asia, Africa and Europe 1991–1993
, pp. 333 - 370
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2014

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References

Grigson, Paul, ‘Yugoslav consulate allowed to reopen’, Sydney Morning Herald, 3 July 1990 Google Scholar
Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade: Monthly Record, vol. 62, no 6, June 1991, p. 357 Google Scholar
Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade: Monthly Record, vol. 62, no 8, August 1991, p. 511 Google Scholar
Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade Monthly Record, nos 11 & 12, vol. 62, November–December 1991, p. 785 Google Scholar
Thompson, Jeremy, ‘Australia denies UN role in Yugoslavia’, Canberra Times, 15 February 1992, p. 1Google Scholar
Donaldson, Lloyd, ‘Wilson wins respect of Yugoslav opponents’, Australian, 21 January 1992, p. 6Google Scholar
Secombe, Mike, ‘No Bosnia duty for our troops’, Sydney Morning Herald, 21 February 1994, p. 5Google Scholar

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  • Roads not taken
  • David Horner, Australian National University, Canberra, John Connor, University of New South Wales, Sydney
  • Book: The Good International Citizen
  • Online publication: 12 May 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139196437.016
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  • Roads not taken
  • David Horner, Australian National University, Canberra, John Connor, University of New South Wales, Sydney
  • Book: The Good International Citizen
  • Online publication: 12 May 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139196437.016
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Roads not taken
  • David Horner, Australian National University, Canberra, John Connor, University of New South Wales, Sydney
  • Book: The Good International Citizen
  • Online publication: 12 May 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139196437.016
Available formats
×