John Blaxland is a Professor in International Security and Intelligence Studies, Director ANU Southeast Asia Institute, and Head at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at ANU. He holds a PhD in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada, an MA in History from ANU, a BA (Hons) from UNSW and is a graduate of the Royal Thai Army Command and Staff College and the Royal Military Colllege, Duntroon (Blamey Scholar). He is a former Director Joint Intelligence Operations (J2), at Headquarters Joint Operations Command and was Australia’s Defence Attaché to Thailand and Burma/Myanmar. He is a member of the ANU Academic Board as well as the Australian Army Journal editorial board and also an occasional commentator in the media.

Key publications

His books include The Secret Cold War:The Official History of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation 1975-1989 (Allen & Unwin 2016), East Timor Intervention (MUP, 2015), The Protest Years (A&U, 2015), The Australian Army From Whitlam to Howard (CUP, 2014), Strategic Cousins (MQUP, 2006), Revisiting Counterinsurgency (LWSC, 2006), Information era Manoeuvre (LWSC, 2002), Signals (RASigs, 1999) and Organising an Army (SDSC, 1989).

Research interests

Intelligence and Security

Australian Military History and Strategy

Military Operations (including Iraq and Afghanistan)

International Relations, on South-east Asia/ASEAN (Thailand, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Indonesia, South China Sea) and North America, (Canada and the United States)

Defence Studies

Australian Flag

More information

In 2014 he was awarded a Minerva Research Initiative grant for a project entitled ‘Thailand’s Military, the USA and China: Understanding how the Thai Military Perceives The Great Powers and Implications For the US Rebalance’.

In semester 1, 2017, he convened “STST3003: Honey Pots and Overcoats: Australian Intelligence in the World” as part of the Bachelor of International Security Studies program.

Along with Military History and Heritage Victoria, SDSC convened a conference ‘War in the Sand Pit: Perspectives and Lessons from Australia’s War in Afghanistan and Iraq 2001-2014” on 12-13 May 2017. Details are available at www.mhhv.org.au .