New Zealand Closes Ports to U.S. Nuclear Warships
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History II: Ecology and the Environment Series
- Categories: Diplomacy, International Relations, Foreign Affairs, Military History, Environmental Issues
- Subcategories: Ships, Naval History, Nuclear Weapons, Power, Radiation, Ecology, Environment, Conservation
- Curriculum: American History 1951-present, Australian/New Zealand History
- Geographical Location: Polynesia, Oceania, New Zealand
- Date: February 4, 1985
Article abstract: The New Zealand government denied port access to U.S. warships carrying nuclear arms.
Summary of Event
New Zealand’s antinuclear policy, and in particular the banning of nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed vessels from its waters, sparked controversy within the Australia-New Zealand-United States (ANZUS) alliance and aroused worldwide interest and debate. The antinuclear stance formed a key element of Prime Minister David R. Lange’s Labour Party platform during the 1984 election, when he unseated longtime prime minister Sir Robert...
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