Historic Case Studies of US Allies Neglecting Treaty Obligations

TOPIC SPONSOR: AFWIC

What are the historical examples (case studies) of where U.S. allies have not lived up to treaty obligations (and why)?

• Fryer, Matthew V., "Show the Flag: Japan, the United States and the Incomplete Evolution of Collective Defense," SAASS thesis, 2025, 92 pgs.
  • Fryer addresses this by examining the historical case studies of the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War, where Japan repeatedly declined to provide direct military support to the United States despite its alliance obligations and American pressure. He argues that Japan's failure to deploy the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) during these conflicts was not simply due to an inherent cultural pacifism or strict adherence to Article 9 of its constitution, but rather the absence of a strategic convergence of domestic and external factors. Fryer introduces a "Conditionality Model," explaining that Japan's military inaction in these earlier cases was driven by underlying reasons such as vague U.S. requests (such as the ambiguous plea to "show the flag" in Vietnam), a lack of political consensus among Japanese elites, inadequate legal frameworks to authorize deployment, and a failure to construct a narrative capable of overcoming fierce domestic public opposition.