The Australian Army from Whitlam to Howard

The Australian Army from Whitlam to Howard is the first critical examination of Australia's post-Vietnam military operations, spanning the 35 years between the election of Gough Whitlam and the defeat of John Howard. John Blaxland explores the 'casualty cringe' felt by political leaders following the war and how this impacted subsequent operations. He contends that the Australian Army's rehabilitation involved common individual and collective training and reaffirmation of the Army's regimental and corps identities.

He shows how the Army regained its confidence to play leading roles in East Timor, Bougainville and the Solomon Islands, and to contribute to combat operations further afield. At a time when the Australian Army's future strategic role is the subject of much debate, and as the 'Asian Century' gathers pace and commitment in Afghanistan draws to an end, this work is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the modern context of Australia's military land force.

• The first study of its kind, filling a significant gap in the literature on the Australian Army, military history and politics
• Written by an expert in the field, Blaxland draws upon his experience of nearly three decades in the Australian Army
• Contains significant policy implications as the government considers the way ahead for the Australian Army as its commitment to Afghanistan draws to an end

About the Author

John Blaxland, Australian National University, Canberra

Dr John Blaxland is a historian and Senior Fellow at SDSC who writes about Asia-Pacific military, intelligence and security affairs. John spent 28 years in the Australian Army including as Defence Attaché to Thailand and Burma and Chief Staff Officer for Joint Intelligence (J2) at Headquarters Joint Operations Command. His previous publications include Strategic Cousins (2006), Revisiting Counterinsurency (2006), Information era Manoeuvre (2002), Signals (1999) and Organising an Army (1989).