The Cold War
The Cold War was the political tension between the USSR and its states known as the Eastern bloc, and the USA and its allies known as the Western bloc in the mid to late 20th century. The reason for it being called the Cold War is due to the lack of direct military actions between the USSR and USA. However, the opposition would always to demolish the other’s economy. This passive aggressive behaviour continued for nearly five decades (1947-1991). The image painted of a communist nation at the time was one of poverty and exploitation. The Communists believed that no one superior to anyone, regardless of profession. So, the government would take everyone’s money and give it equally to everyone. They also believed against private enterprise. Contradicting to this, the average capitalistic lifestyle was one of luxury and class. The US backed states relied heavily on private enterprise.
The Cold War introduced a new way of war through espionage. Espionage was very prevalent in both states. Many Americans would disguise as Soviet powers and vice versa to gain valuable information for their side.
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However, the Cold War was the resulted to many conflicts including, but not limiting to: Korean War, Vietnam War, the Berlin Crisis and the Bay of Pigs. The battle of East and West resulted in tremendous losses on both sides.
As the iron curtain rose once again in Europe, the Soviets dissolved into smaller republics then eventually be forgotten. This would mark the end of the Cold War in 1991.
Not only this, the Cold War resulted in the Arms and Space race, were the two world’s super powers, USA and USSR, raced to see who had the best weapons.
The Vietnam War and Australia
Communism remained a key political issue gripping Australia during the 60s. It was the main reason to send troops to Vietnam in the first place. Vietnam is North-west of Australia. It is the part of Asia Europeans call, French Indochina. Due to France’s 100+ year control over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, they were ahead of the colonisation game in Asia against their enemies. France earned trading advantages for having their colonies. To the end of WWII, a communist leader named Ho Chi Minh claimed Vietnam’s independence from the colonial giant. France lost the rest of their colonies after a Vietnamese invasion at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. A ceasefire agreement divided the nation into two at the 17th parallel. Communist Viet Minh took hold of the North, holding communism as their ideology, and the South was backed by Western forces, having capitalism as the main ideology.
Australia believed in the ‘Forward Defence Policy’ were the government believed that the best way to prevent war on Australian soil was to send troops overseas and fight there. This was the main reason why Australia decided to join the Vietnam War. Between 1962 and 1972, 60,000 Australian men and women served in Vietnam.
Social implications in Australia
Protests
The Vietnam War had its toll on Australia both physically and socially. Protests were demonstrated. The war had made Australians turn amongst themselves. Some people argued that Australia’s involvement was unnecessary and that countless lives were being lost, while others believed that Australia must stand with America to fight in Vietnam to fight communism and stop the spread of it to Australia.
Many protestors gathered in Australia to protest Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. One notable one being the July 4th, 1968 protest in Melbourne. Wild mobs of protestors stormed the US consulate. Hundreds of anti-Vietnam demonstrators fought against police that night. The protest got so out of hand that troops were called out. 54 people were arrested and many others wounded.
At 5:45 is when the riot broke out due to one protestor taking out an American flag and burning it.
Mental health
Not only did the Vietnam War lead to protests in Australia, but it also exposed many soldiers to higher rates of PTSD. After the Great War, the world grew aware of mental health and how it is a disease that can harm people. People in Vietnam were exposed to higher rates of PTSD due to the constant gun shell sounds and bombs. As time progressed, the PTSD would severe. The disease resulted in many suicides due to the constant reminder to veterans of the tragic time they faced to protect the South.
Cultural implications in Australia
Refugees and multiculturalism
In the decade following the Vietnam War, over 80,000 Vietnamese people moved to Australia as refugees. The reason for 11,429% increase in Vietnamese people in Australia was because of the decision that the Whitlam government had to remove the ‘White Australia Policy’.
In 1982, Australia accepted near to 60,000 Vietnamese refugees.
Even though more than 2,000 Vietnamese people came by boat, many more were sadly killed at sea. Various accounts were recorded of how Thai pirates would rape Vietnamese women on these boats.
“The patrol boat began shooting at us, and the women on our boat screamed.”
Source 3- Quote from Anh Do’s autobiography, The Happiest Refugee.
Even though many Vietnamese people suffered as refugees, this decision to remove the ‘White Australia Policy’ created a gate way to make Australia one of the world’s most multicultural country. Today, Vietnamese people make about 1.4% of Australia’s populations. And Vietnamese migrants make up about 1% of all migrants entering Australia today. Also, 1 in 2 Australians have an overseas-born parent. And 1 in every 4 Australians were born out of the country.
Discrimination
In the last month of the Whitlam government, the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, came into effect were racial discrimination was deemed illegal. However, this didn’t stop discrimination completely. The people who had rejected Australia’s involvement in the War sought to be on the political left with the Labour government. However, even with this, many Australians also rejected the idea that Vietnamese people should be sent to Australia as refugees. Racist comments and violent protests were common in this era as the people of Australia didn’t want any involvement in the war.
Political implications in Australia
Treaties
Australia joined 51 nations to pledge collective security by the signing of the United Nations Charter. The signing of the Charter was a way to give the smaller, less known nations of the world a voice in worldly affairs. The signing of the United Nations Charter and the support for collective security is the main reason why Australia decided to help South Vietnam in the Vietnam War.
The South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) grew out of the Manila Pact. This was following the French defeat and their withdrawal from Indochina. The United States of America saw SEATO essential to its Cold War containment policy. It was designed to stop communist forces from furthering onwards in the region. Some signatories were Australia, America, New Zealand, Britain and France. South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were offered protection under the treaty without being included. In contradiction, India, Indonesia and Malaya declined the offer.
However, most of the SEATO members were not located in Southeast Asia. Britain and France joined the treaty due to their long-maintained colonies in the treaties. To the SEATO treaty, Australia contributed to 13.5% of SEATO’s military and civil budget. As time went on, the SEATO treaty grew insignificant due to the lack of contribution from the allied countries. Countries had many disagreements so no military forces were employed even though they were give military training.
The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS) is the treaty between Australia, America and New Zealand for military matter in the Pacific Ocean region. The treaty was signed on September 1st 1951. It says that if any of the three parties are to be attacked that it could pose a threat to the others. This meant that all three would have to send military utilities to aid the others. It requires each nation to ‘consult together whenever in the opinion of any of them the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened in the Pacific’ and ‘act to meet the common danger in accordance with its constitutional processes’. The treaty was made mainly to respond to the spread of communism in the Indochina areas which would be the main reason New Zealand sent their troops to Vietnam in the Vietnam War.
Allies
South Vietnam was allied with countries like United States of America, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and New Zealand, which helped South Vietnam when they were being invaded by communist forces from the north. North Vietnam would be supported by communist forces such as the Soviet Union, China etc.
Conclusion
America’s involvement in the Vietnam War began after WWII where they decided to commit to helping the South Vietnamese. America wanted to stop the spread of communism to the Pacific area, which would lead to up to Australia. And Australia being in western society, the thought was communism would spread through Australia. This was known as the domino theory. America sent many troops, however 58,318 would die (1/5 of combat deaths) and the war would leave 303,644 Americans wounded.
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