How Did The Vietnam War Influence Australia

Contention: The Vietnam War was a civil war that was heavily influenced by Cold War ideology.

The Vietnam War was a multinational conflict lasting from 1955 until 1973. Due to international events and relations of the time, the Vietnam War was a civil war that was heavily influenced by Cold War ideology. Western politicians who accepted the reality of the Domino Theory implemented many policies to increase their countries’ involvement in Vietnam, in order to stop the progress of Communism through South-East Asia. America’s increase in military involvement in the Vietnam War was founded upon the basis of ideological tensions between Communism and Democracy. However, at its core, the Vietnam War was a struggle against the French, and did not

have its roots in the Cold War; rather, America’s misinterpretation of Ho Chi Minh’s intentions initiated their involvement in the War.

Western military policy during the Vietnam War was formulated in response to the threat of the Domino Theory, which predicted the spread of Communism throughout all of South-East Asia. Western countries with geographical ties to the South-East region, such as Australia and New Zealand, and countries with political interests in the area, such as America, all sought to stymy the progress of Communism through the South-East. Eisenhower, who stated that “You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is a certainty that it will go over very quickly coined the Domino Theory.” Western Powers’ belief in the Domino Theory led to the military policy of containment, which suggested that the best way to check the progress of Communism was to actively defend its progress, as is seen in Vietnam. The justification for many Western countries’ involvement in Vietnam was based upon the ideology of the Domino Theory; Prime Minister Robert Menzies’ declaration in 1965 that "The takeover of South Vietnam would be a direct military threat to Australia" demonstrates Australia’s acceptance of the Domino Theory, and thus provides an understanding as to Australia’s response to the Vietnam War. Further, the establishment of SEATO demonstrates the fear of Western politicians regarding the spread of Communism; of the eight countries involved, only two were ‘South-East Asian’ countries. As such, SEATO provided a basis by which countries economically and ideologically interested in South East Asia could stop the progress of Communism;

Australian interests in South-East Asia further shaped the level of involvement of Australia in the Vietnam War.

In Australia, the government’s anti-Communist stance and dedication to its allies shaped the amount of support Australia contributed to the War effort. Menzies’ government had a strong anti-Communist view, demonstrated in the Communist Party Dissolution Bill of 1950. The declaration that the Communist Part was an “unlawful association” is indicative of the Australian governments’ anti-Communist stance, which directly influenced the level of Australian involvement in the Vietnam War. Further, Menzies viewed Communism as “debased, treasonable, utterly undemocratic; in form a subversive conspiracy; in practice opposed to high standards of living and real prosperity; destructive, if it succeeds, of all human freedom.” The outworking of the Menzies governments’ anti-Communist stance had direct impact on Australian involvement in the Vietnam War: In total, Australia sent 46,852 people to serve in Vietnam, of which 494

died.
Additionally, Australian interest in the Vietnam War was not only restricted to an anti-Communist standing, but was also informed by the maintenance of international relations in a bid to defend Australia in her time of need, notably with the United States.

Australia’s fears of isolation should South-East Asia fall to Communism were allayed through the improvement of diplomatic ties with the United States; the formation of the ANZUS treaty under the premise that “an armed attack in the Pacific Area on any of the Parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety” demonstrates the level of commitment Australia desired from the United States in order to maintain its safety. The natural outworking of this policy was for Australia to side with America on many of its policies in Vietnam; Historian Mackerras states that “Vietnam was never the central issue; the central issue was the ‘insurance policy’ should Australia require United States support in the future.” However, the fostering of good international standing with the United States was not the only factor that contributed to Australian involvement in the Vietnam War; Grey and Doyle argue that “even if the United States had not existed, the Australian Government would have been deeply concerned over the perceived threat from communism in South East Asia” . Thus, a combination of both Australia’s interest in maintaining good relations with the United States and a fear of the fulfilment of the Domino Theory, as well as

the strong anti-Communist stance of the Menzies government, contributed to the Australian Vietnam War effort. As such, Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War was heavily influenced by Cold War ideologies.

Para 3: American Ideology heavily shaped the course of the Vietnam War
• Gulf of Tonkin
• Assassination of Diem

Para 4: The inception of the Vietnam War found its roots in the tension between French and Vietnamese, not Cold War ideology.

During September 1945, the world had generated its focus on the surrendering of Japanese troops in the Pacific following World War Two. Before World War Two, Vietnam had been a colony of the French, however during the war, Japan took control of this area. When Japan withdrew, the people of Vietnam decided to establish a new government. This was lead by Ho Chi Minh- a revolutionary and communist leader. Ho and the Viet Minh began to fight the French as they announced they were reclaiming North Vietnam. In November 1946, war was officially announced after the French bombed the port of Haiphong. “Throughout the day of November 20, French tanks entered the city of Haiphong and overran Vietnamese barricades. The Viet Minh cadres responded with mortar fire. The French attack on Haiphong utilized the gamut of military technology of the day: infantry, tanks, artillery, air strikes, and naval bombardment. The underequipped Viet Minh responded with mortar fire and guerrilla raids. Entire neighbourhoods of flimsy houses in the poorest sections of town were demolished, and thousands of Vietnamese refugees poured out of the city. The official French reports at the time stated that six thousand civilians had been killed as they fled the area.” As Ho continued to appeal to the Western powers to stop French aggression, Europe and the United States refused to give aid as Ho did not agree to the French policies. This sense of tension prior to the Second French-Indo War saw Ho Chi Minh and his rebels struggle with trusting the Western Powers. Having turned to Russian and China in 1949 for their help, Ho strongly believed that communism was the answer for his country to return to peace. In 1950, the United States started to support South Korea in the War against the Communist North, which was backed by China and Russia. President Eisenhower regarded Vietnam as “Korea all over again” and feared that the whole of south east Asian would fall into communism in a Domino effect.