New Zealand: 100 years of war
by Violet Kasm (2024)
Every nation is an essential part of the complex network of countries. We turn to complexity theory, a theory that helps analyze their involvement and, more crucially, how their involvement impacts the bigger picture in order to understand how significant these roles are. New Zealand stands out among these countries for being an obscure yet noteworthy country that is highlighted by its rich history and culture. Despite its small size, New Zealand's cultural and historical significance exists past its borders. The Complexity Theory allows us to comprehend the involvement of countries like New Zealand in the landscape of nations, highlighting the importance of their unique cultural and historical positions.
New Zealand's history originates with its indigenous Maori people and European colonization. The Maori, Polynesian navigators, settled the islands around 800 AD, establishing societies along with a lasting impact. Abel Tasman, a Dutch navigator, and Captain James Cook, an explorer in the late 18th century, established European contact in 1642. The 19th century saw an expansion in British colonialism, which resulted in the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, which recognized Maori rights while establishing British authority.
Approximately 5 million people make up the nation's varied population. The majority have European ancestry, mostly British and Irish, although a significant Maori population—roughly 16% of the total—is present. The remaining population is made up of Asians, Pacific Islanders, and an increasing number of immigrants from all parts of the world. The nation is becoming more urbanized with the constant development of its largest metropolis, Auckland. Another known city being Christchurch, known for its endurance in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. Similarly, the nation's capital, Wellington, is known for its artistic and government institutions.
New Zealand stands out as a progressive nation with a strong commitment to environmental preservation, an effective social welfare system, and a well-established nuclear-free policy. It was acknowledged globally for its exceptional management of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government of New Zealand places a high priority on topics including mental health, climate change, and child poverty. Despite its capable government, New Zealand still faces persistent challenges including housing affordability and inequality. Moreover, New Zealand's geographical position in the Asia-Pacific region demands careful consideration of trade relations and security.
“Complexity theory is a concept that was applied to social systems in an attempt to understand dynamic processes” and how one event triggers and influences another, creating a domino effect. Fundamentally, the goal of complexity theory is to demonstrate how basic elements can interact to produce complex patterns and behaviors. One well known aspect of the theory is the concept of emergence. This describes how patterns and behaviors can arise from the complex arraignment of events, creating a system. Complexity theory is applied to the study of countries and their history by examining how simple interactions between various societal, economic, and political factors can lead to complicated outcomes over time.
For a small country, New Zealand played a major role in World War I. In 1914, New Zealand reacted quickly to the call to war because of its close affiliation with the British Empire. Samoa, Gallipoli, Sinai-Palestine, Belgium, and France were among the locations where more than 100,000 New Zealanders enlisted and served overseas. Around 16,000 military personnel died as a result of their involvement in the Gallipoli Campaign.
New Zealand made significant contributions to the Allied troops during World War II, although its efforts went mostly unrecognized. At that time, more than 140,000 New Zealanders, or a significant proportion of the population, enlisted in the military. As part of their involvement in the war, they fought with American forces in the Guadalcanal Campaign while safeguarding Fiji and the Solomon Islands in the Pacific. Furthermore, as a component of the British Eighth Army, New Zealand soldiers participated in the El Alamein combat in North Africa. They later fought in Europe, specifically in the Netherlands and Germany, and they even took part in wars in Italy.
Aside from having troops on the ground, New Zealand’s air force and navy, fighting in the air and in the sea, were also important. The Royal New Zealand Navy supported operations in the Pacific, while the air force participated in those coordinated by the Allied forces. It was clear that New Zealand was committed to preserving freedom and democracy by supporting the Allied Forces.
In the wake of the September 11 attacks, New Zealand joined the War on Terror and committed to support multinational operations in Afghanistan. The province of Bamyan received soldiers from the New Zealand Defence Force's Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) and Special Air Service (SAS). The purpose of these deployments was to support the area's rebuilding operations while also providing security. While its recovery teams concentrated on providing humanitarian relief, the rest of New Zealand's military assisted in stabilizing the region and disrupting terrorist networks.
New Zealand's commitment to combating terrorism and promoting regional security persisted even after it withdrew its combat soldiers from Afghanistan in 2013. This was evident by diplomatic agreements and increased funding for the country's development.
Even though they are smaller compared to that of larger countries, New Zealand's military strength is formidable and sophisticated. The Royal New Zealand Navy “operates a fleet of Anzac-class frigates, patrol vessels, and support ships”, prioritizing naval defense and surveillance. The New Zealand Army is stocked with “infantry weapons and light armored vehicles”, emphasizing peacekeeping and disaster relief missions as opposed to deadly war. The Royal New Zealand Air Force owns a fleet of aircraft and helicopters, including “P-3 Orion aircraft” for nautical surveillance and various aircraft for transport, search-and-rescue operations, and airlift support. While its military might be on the smaller side, New Zealand's forces are well-trained and actively contribute to security and international peacekeeping efforts.
As of now, New Zealand continues to stand out as a nation due to its natural landscapes, progressive policies, and distinct culture. We see that the nation, since its founding and through its involvement in wars, has been one focused on peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts. Despite its virtues, New Zealand does not function without its challenges. Since 2023, some of these include inflation, price of housing, crime, and cost of healthcare. Nevertheless, as emphasized previously, the government of New Zealand is resolutely dedicated to addressing these concerns.
New Zealand's multifaceted history, from its indigenous roots to its modern-day global engagements, demonstrate the complexity of its role among nations. Despite persistent obstacles, the united country of New Zealand endures in making significant progress toward being an exemplary nation. Because of its perseverance and determination in the face of hardship, New Zealand is an exceptional example of how a small nation can have a significant impact on the global stage.
When learning about significant conflicts like World War 1 and the War on Terror, we learn about international superpowers and their involvement in these conflicts. Because of this, we often overlook smaller countries that also played a role, granted it be less significant than that of world superpowers. New Zealand is one of those countries that is often overlooked and may be described as obscure. However, upon doing research, I’ve come to realize that New Zealand is a very well developed nation with a fully functioning government and society; maybe one more exemplary than that of the United States.
When doing research, I found it difficult to find original information that would allow me to expand upon basic facts about the country. New Zealand is a country that I have very limited background knowledge of, so doing research and learning each and every aspect about the country and its international involvement allowed me to open my horizons and realize that there are other countries, beside the ones that we repeatedly see on the news, that make up the complex network of nations that we call our world.
Works Cited
“Soils of New Zealand.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/place/New-Zealand/Soils Accessed 26 May 2024.
Archives.Govt.Nz, www.archives.govt.nz/research-guidance/research-guides/war-records/world-war-one-1914-1918#:~:text=In%20the%20First%20World%20War,a%20very%20high%20casualty%20rate Accessed 26 May 2024.
Archives.Govt.Nz, www.archives.govt.nz/research-guidance/research-guides/war-records/world-war-two#:~:text=New%20Zealand%20first%20sent%20troops,Japan%20eased%20in%20late%201943 Accessed 26 May 2024.
New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. “New Zealand in the ‘War on Terror.’” Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga, 21 Sept. 2021, teara.govt.nz/en/terrorism-and-counter-terrorism/page-4#:~:text=Ten%20New%20Zealand%20soldiers%20died,for%20participation%20in%20maritime%20operations. Accessed 26 May 2024.
“2024 New Zealand Military Strength.” Global Firepower - World Military Strength, www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.php?country_id=new-zealand Accessed 26 May 2024.
“What Is Emergence?” John Templeton Foundation, 14 Feb. 2023, www.templeton.org/news/what-is-emergence#:~:text=Emergence%20describes%20the%20distinct%20patterns,groups%20of%20atoms%20or%20molecules. Accessed 26 May 2024.