The Vietnam War

Background

For nearly 100 years the French occupied Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. However after World War II, a Vietnamese Communist leader named Ho Chi Minh claimed Vietnamese independence from the French. Complete unification and independence of Vietnam took another 30 years.

Australia was fearful of communism. This was reflected in the government’s defence policy, which was focused on preventing a war being fought on Australian soil.

Domino Theory

Definition: A theory

that if one nation comes under Communist control, then neighbouring nations will also come under Communist control. This lead to a fear that a domino effect would occur across Asia and the South Pacific.

Ho Chi Minh

He was a Marxist-

Leninist revolutionary leader who was prime minister (1945-1955) and president (1945-1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). He played a key role in the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong (NLF) during the Vietnam War until his death in 1969.

What was the situation in Vietnam by the end of

1954? By the end of 1954, a meeting of the UN

was held and Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel. North Vietnam was Communist and South Vietnam was Capitalist. The Vietnamese people were old that they would be able to vote for a government within 2 years.

How and when did the war break out between Vietnam and the USA?

Tonkin Gulf Incident

Brainstorm

Why did Australia become involved?

Terms ANZUS - ANZUS stands for the Australia - New

Zealand - United States Security Treaty which was signed in September 1951. The ANZUS pact did not commit the US to intervening in the event of an attack on Australia or New Zealand, only to 'consultation', but it was hailed as a great diplomatic success in Australia.

SEATO – Following the Korean War and the unrest in Indochina, the Australian government felt it was imperative that they have a proper defensive treaty. A number of other countries felt the same way and the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) was created to deal with the situation.

How did Australia react to the visit of the US President L B Johnson in 1966?

Read text book page 169 and write down your answer.

Australia’s Involvement in the Vietnam War

Australia's Reaction to the Vietnam War