New Zealand Defence Force

Foreign relations and military

Main articles: Foreign relations of New Zealand and New Zealand Defence Force

Māori Battalion haka in Egypt, 1941

Early colonial New Zealand allowed the British Government to determine external trade and be responsible for foreign policy.^[86] The 1923 and 1926 Imperial Conferences decided that New Zealand should be allowed to negotiate its own political treaties and the first commercial treaty was ratified in 1928 with Japan. On 3 September 1939 New Zealand allied itself with Britain and declared war on Germany with Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage proclaiming, "Where she goes, we go; where she stands, we stand."^[87]
In 1951 the United Kingdom became increasingly focused on its European interests,^[88] while New Zealand joined Australia and the United States in the ANZUS security treaty.^[89] The influence of the United States on New Zealand weakened following protests over the Vietnam War,^[90] the refusal of the United States to admonish France after the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior,^[91] disagreements over environmental and agricultural trade issues and New Zealand's nuclear-free policy.^[92][93] Despite the United States' suspension of ANZUS obligations the treaty remained in effect between New Zealand and Australia, whose foreign policy has followed a similar historical trend.^[94] Close political contact is maintained between the two countries, with free trade agreements and travel arrangements that allow citizens to visit, live and work in both countries without restrictions.^[95] In 2013 there were about 650,000 New Zealand citizens living in Australia, which is equivalent to 15% of the population of New Zealand.^[96]

Anzac Day service at the National War Memorial

New Zealand has a strong presence among the Pacific Island countries. A large proportion of New Zealand's aid goes to these countries and many Pacific people migrate to New Zealand for employment.^[97] Permanent migration is regulated under the 1970 Samoan Quota Scheme and the 2002 Pacific Access Category, which allow up to 1,100 Samoan nationals and up to 750 other Pacific Islanders respectively to become permanent New Zealand residents each year. A seasonal workers scheme for temporary migration was introduced in 2007 and in 2009 about 8,000 Pacific Islanders were employed under it.^[98] New Zealand is involved in the Pacific Islands Forum, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (including the East Asia Summit).^[95] New Zealand is a member of the United Nations,^[99] the Commonwealth of Nations^[100] and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),^[101] and participates in the Five Power Defence Arrangements.^[102]
New Zealand's armed forces—the Defence Force—comprise the New Zealand Army, the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Navy.^[103] New Zealand's national defence needs are modest, since a direct attack is unlikely.^[104] However, its military has had a global presence. The country fought in both world wars, with notable campaigns in Gallipoli, Crete,^[105] El Alamein^[106] and Cassino.^[107] The Gallipoli campaign played an important part in fostering New Zealand's national identity^[108][109] and strengthened the ANZAC tradition it shares with Australia.^[110]
In addition to Vietnam and the two world wars, New Zealand fought in the Second Boer War,^[111] the Korean War,^[112] the Malayan Emergency,^[113] the Gulf War and the Afghanistan War. It has contributed forces to several regional and global peacekeeping missions, such as those in Cyprus, Somalia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Sinai, Angola, Cambodia, the Iran–Iraq border, Bougainville, East Timor, and the Solomon Islands