Like other SEATO nations, Australia gave its full and unequivocal support for the newly formed Republic of South Vietnam. This prompted the Australian government, then led by prime minister John Curtin, to initiate a fundamental shift in Australian foreign policy. The Virtual Archive makes documents, photographs, slides, negatives, audio and moving image recordings, … Around 60,000 Australian military personnel served in Vietnam during the course of the war. In making this film about the Vietnam War, the Australian Commonwealth Film Unit did not look for battles and heroes. Menzies claimed that trade unions and the Labor Party, then Australia’s party of government, had been infiltrated by communist agents and agitators. In 1966, Australian forces were given responsibility for Phuoc Tuy province, 50 miles east of Saigon. Suggested terms to look for include - diary, diaries, letters, papers, documents, documentary or correspondence. While Diem was being celebrated, the Australian media demonised those who opposed him. This close co-operation continued after the war. The following year he attempted to ban the CPA, declaring it an illegal organisation. Australian confidence was particularly rattled by three events, all in February 1942: the surrender of the British base at Singapore, the Japanese invasion of New Guinea and the bombing of Darwin by Japanese planes. Menzies announced the introduction of a National Service scheme – in effect a form of conscription – where males over the age of 20 would be selected by a ‘birthday ballot’. An editorial from the Bulletin magazine was typically dismissive: “They are just the same old numerous, expendable, careless-of-life, bare-footed, rice-eating Asiatic campaigners who have defied every kind of modernism from the day of the bow-and-arrow on a war front to the explosion of the H-bomb in 1954.”. The media reacted to growing middle-class disenchantment with the war. By the end of 1965, Canberra had remitted the equivalent of $US13 million in aid. Vietnam War - Modern History Sourcebook Fordham University provides a list of links to online primary sources from the modern era. A historian’s view: Despite these losses, the Menzies government remained committed to assisting South Vietnam for up to ten years – but this support, they said, would remain focused on training and logistics. In September 1957, Ngo Dinh Diem undertook a brief tour of Australia, where Australia’s leaders and its press hailed Diem as the “strong man of the South”, “incorruptible and intensely patriotic” and “the type of Asian leader whose straight talk and courageous manner should be valued”. The advance of Japanese imperial forces into the Asia-Pacific brought an aggressive imperial power close to Australia’s shores. This image represents the severity of the situation and the tasks and conditions Australian soldiers had to undergo during the War in order to prevent Communist expansion to the rest of Asia, and ultimately, Australia. A selection of Vietnam War documents: primary sources pertaining to the struggle for Vietnam between the late 1800s and 1975. Australia’s involvement in Vietnam was driven by a fear of communist expansion in Asia and the government’s desire to align itself with the United States. Kimberley point spearhead. The Vietnam War. The war was the cause of the greatest social and political dissent in Australia since the conscription referendums of the First World War. Australian troops were mostly based in the southern province of Phuoc Tuy. Australia sent a contingent of military trainers to Vietnam in 1962. Military history of Australia during the Vietnam War is within the scope of WikiProject Australia, ... As a note, with the new year all the Australian Government-created images in the AWM's database and other sources from 1967 should now be in the public domain. Vietnam Center and Archive . Even after its federation and nominal independence in 1901, Australia’s foreign policy was for years strongly influenced by Britain. It also sought to maintain and strengthen its wartime ties with the US. This changed during and after the war when Canberra sought closer defence ties with the United States. Under the National Service program, conscripts would serve a minimum of two years with the Australian Army. This black-and-white photograph shows two Australian soldiers from the 1st Australian Task Force providing civilian food aid to a Vietnamese woman and her three children in Phuoc Tuy province during the Vietnam War. In April 1965, Menzies announced the dispatch of the first Australian combat troops to Vietnam. Under the terms of ANZUS, if one of the three signatories was attacked for a foreign power, the others were required to assist. Holt was never found and he was presumed drowned. Combine these these terms with the event or person you are researching. Nick-D 10:55, 1 January 2018 (UTC) Thanks, Nick. Even after its federation and nominal independence in 1901, Australia’s foreign policy was for years strongly influenced by Britain. Although this is not a first-hand report it is based on a primary source. Australian military involvement in Vietnam began in August 1962 when 30 personnel were sent to assist the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) to assist with weapons training and equipment maintenance. In March 1968, when Lyndon Johnson halted the bombing of North Vietnam and announced his decision not to stand for re-election, Gorton only found out from media reports. In December 1949, Menzies became prime minister after a decisive election victory. Holt announced publicly that Australia would “go all the way with LBJ”. Audience: It is aimed at people after the war to give the knowledge about the events that occurred in Vietnam war. Formed by Vietnam veterans in 1989 with a mission to “collect and preserve the documentary record of the Vietnam War.” Contains more than 550,000 items for searching and browsing. One of the soldiers holds three cartons of Heinz food products. It is a reputable source due to the fact that it simply shows one of the various events that were taking place, furthermore showing that it is a primary source, which makes the source more reliable as a result. Primary source study . The emphasis was on people, both Australian and Vietnamese. A project of the Yale Law School’s Lillian Goodman Law Library, The Avalon Project collects primary sources in law, history and diplomacy ranging from 400 B.C.E. Closer ties with the US were established in the 1950s. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results. There were never more than 7,700 Australian combat troops deployed in Vietnam at any one time. His successor, John Gorton, was an Air Force fighter pilot who supported Australian military involvement in Vietnam. It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. 2. Start Here; Primary Sources; Secondary Sources; Citation & Writing Help; Contact the Library Call, email, or visit; Text us at 205-377-0920 Ask A Librarian FAQS; Like us on Facebook; Follow us on Twitter; Subscribe to our YouTube Channel; Presidential Papers The American Presidency Project. The Vietnam War. In the late 1940s, a period of social and economic unrest, Australia was disrupted by several major strikes. A sample answer is given below. Vietnam War 1962-1972 Australian support for South Vietnam arrived during July and August 1962 and marks the beginning of Australia's involvement in the war in Vietnam. Paul Ham. They did not initiate or promote anti-war feeling; they reflected and fed off it… In time, editors published reports and photos safe in the knowledge their readers were now receptive to anti-war coverage. By placing Diem on a pedestal, the Australian government and media were clearly aligning themselves with the United States. to the present day. Collections cover the Vietnam War, Indochina, and the impact of the war on the United States and Southeast Asia.. Vietnam War Proquest History Vault: Vietnam War and Foreign Policy Covers U.S. involvement in the region from the early days of the Kennedy administration, through the escalation of the war during the Johnson administration, to the final resolution of the war at … "Made by The Commonwealth Film Unit 1966. They used counter-insurgency tactics and avoided major roads, paths and obvious ambush points. Intimations of defeat leavened the journalists’ copy: not only was the war a crime, it was also a losing battle.” Primary Sources and Teaching Activities. Australia first sent troops to Vietnam in 1962, and increased this commitment, to include Operation Vietcong and Operation Full-On. In 1964 Canberra introduced conscription to increase its defence force. DocsTeach . Date published: July 2, 2019 For more information on usage, please refer to our Terms of Use. The conservative press and politicians blamed these strikes on the CPA, which they blamed for industrial destabilisation. Source: Ernest Buckmaster, war artist, at work drawing a group of servicemen, World War II. Largest online source for information on the Vietnam War. URL: https://alphahistory.com/vietnamwar/australian-involvement-in-vietnam/ Vietnam War - Effects On Australia Sources: Source One: Source Two: Source Three: Australians at vietnam. The Tet Offensive in early 1968 eroded Australia’s confidence about the progress of the war. In 1954 Australia became a foundation member of the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO). Australian society and politics were also affected by Cold War paranoia. Johnson’s visit to Australia did encounter some small but visible anti-war protests. In April 1942, Curtin placed all Australian military units under the command of an American general, Douglas Macarthur. Explore a digital collection of resources on Australia's involvement in wars including: WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. The statement from Menzies saying that along with America, Australia was assisting Southern Vietnam in the Civil War against the Northern Vietnamese. For more information, visit Alpha History or our Terms of Use. Australians in Vietnam Australia's involvement in, and reaction to, the war in Vietnam. Opinion polling suggested a significant majority of Australians supported this decision. Australian combat troops were sent to Vietnam in 1965. Australians feared infiltration of unions and political parties by communists, as well as communist expansion in Asia. Like its new ally America, Australia had also been subject to anti-communist scares and hysteria. (Australian War Memorial) 4 Lesson 5: Primary Source Analysis: War Photographs 1-4. Australia’s commitment to Vietnam remained relatively small, with around 60,000 soldiers serving there during the conflict. In making this film about the Vietnam War, the Australian Commonwealth Film Unit did not look for battles and heroes. 5. Reliability: The source is reliable and trustworthy. It contains 184,073 words in 261 pages and was updated last on June 11th. The archive holds major collections of primary source material supported by Texas Tech University. A total of 521 Australian servicemen were killed in action during the Vietnam War. Considering the fact that it is a primary source, it honestly illustrates the opinions of Australians in the time frame of the Vietnam War, with only a small amount of bias due to the various opinions and divisions of the period. In private he expressed the view that this was no way to treat an ally. Menzies’ banning of the CPA was later declared unconstitutional by the High Court, then blocked by a nationwide referendum. Australian military tactics tended to be more cautious and measured than those employed by their American allies. Australian Soldiers On Patrol in Vietnam is an excerpt from the film Action in Vietnam (27 mins), produced in 1966. Motive: To tell people about the stages of the war from an Australian perspective, and how it affected the solders mentally and physically aswell as how it affected the … Title: “Australian involvement in Vietnam” Note the curated subject guides on many topics for help digging into the wealth of … They constructed an airstrip and major base at Nui Dat, then worked to clear the surrounding area of Viet Cong. This was to be the story of the young Australians who were carrying on the standards of service begun by their grandfathers during the First World War. During this time they could be deployed in Vietnam. In 1951 Australia, New Zealand and the US signed the ANZUS treaty, a military alliance developed largely in response to Cold War threats, such as the rise of communist China. Australia’s financial aid to South Vietnam was accompanied by moral support and enthusiastic rhetoric. Primary sources. More than 300,000 people gathered along the president’s motorcade in Melbourne. (example: civil war diary). This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War was driven largely by the rise of communism in Southeast Asia after the Second World War, and the fear of its spread which developed in Australia during the 1950s and early 1960s. These methods made Australian troops more effective and more respected by their enemy, though impatient US commanders sometimes criticised the Australians for not clearing areas quickly enough. Lyndon Johnson embarked on a reciprocal visit in October 1966, the first visit to Australia by a serving US president. 3. In June 1966, Holt visited Washington DC and held talks with US president Lyndon Johnson and other American political and military leaders. An extract from the late Mike Coleridge's TV news film "6 RAR in Vietnam action DPR/TV/571". In late 1956, Australia began supplying aid to Asian nations under SEATO protection. This reliance was undermined by the events of World War II. The Vietnam War: Primary Sources and Activities Supported by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program The Vietnam War was a conflict that spanned almost two decades, and was ultimately a failure for the United States. It was part of a larger regional conflict as well as a manifestation of the Cold War. Vietnam War Primary Source Collections on the Web Virtual Vietnam Archive. This arrow-like Kimberley point spearhead is part of a long tradition in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In December 1967, prime minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming at Portsea. This reliance was undermined by the events of World War II. 4. Vietnam War memory quiz – events 1946-1964, Vietnam War memory quiz – events 1965-1975, Vietnam War memory quiz – terms and concepts (I), Vietnam War memory quiz – terms and concepts (II). The first package was in the region of three million pounds, the largest portion of which went to Saigon. The advance of Japanese imperial forces into the Asia-Pacific brought an aggressive imperial power clo… Authors: Jennifer Llewellyn, Jim Southey, Steve Thompson 5. Menzies hoped to raise 8,000 troops each year via the National Service program. The Middle Ages ... Australia's involvement in, and reaction to, the war in Vietnam. Without cutting its ties with Britain, Canberra began to draw closer to the United States, now a more formidable power in the Pacific region. Robert Menzies, then leader of Australia’s opposition party, played up this communist threat. American troops were extensively based in Australia for the duration of World War II. Johnson was welcomed in Australia by enormous crowds. The Vietnam moratorium protests, the first of which took place on 8 May 1970, were the largest public demonstrations in Australia’s history at the time. This aid package received widespread support in Australia, both from the general population and both sides of politics. This resource includes 3 separate primary sources from eyewitnesses to events in the topic Australian involvement in the Vietnam War and activities based on the source including who wrote the source, what we know about the writer, how their presence at the historical incidents impacts their writing, whether the information is reliable and the purpose of the writing. National Museum of Australia Download Kimberley point spearhead study 608.9 kb pdf [ PDF | 608.9 kb ] Print this page on A3 paper for best results. Subjects: Primary Sources Tags: history , primary sources , war Trible Library provides links to other websites to aid in research and is not responsible for the content or privacy policy of those sites. The Vietnam War was the longest and most unpopular conflict of the century for both Australia and New Zealand. It became apparent that Britain was incapable and perhaps unwilling to assist with the defence of Australia. Subjects: Primary Sources Tags: history , primary sources , war Trible Library provides links to other websites to aid in research and is not responsible for the content or privacy policy of those sites. Directed by John Abbott. Also search by subject for specific people and events, then scan the titles for those keywords or others such as memoirs, autobiography, report, or personal narratives. By 1965, it was apparent that the allied forces could not hold out and the United States increased its commitment. Date range: 19th Century Geographical focus: US This release contains 2,009 authors and approximately 100,000 pages of diaries, letters and memoirs of persons somehow involved in the American Civil War. More than 50 years after the United States committed combat troops to the war in Vietnam, and more than 40 years since the war ended, the complexity of the conflict is still being unraveled. 1. Copyright: The content on this page may not be republished without our express permission. Texas Tech University’s Vietnam Center and Archive is the largest online source for information on the Vietnam War. Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War began in 1962 when 30 military advisers were deployed to support South Vietnamese forces. The intention was to show what war really feels like.". By 1968, as Australian forces rose to over 8,000, opposition to … For most this ethos seems not to have changed. The Avalon Project. The Menzies government signed the ANZUS treaty, joined SEATO and provided financial aid and support to South Vietnam. There was very little complex analysis of their background or political goals. Primary source databases for Modern History. The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), formed in 1920, had been banned during World War II. Publisher: Alpha History In Vietnam the task force had no sense of defeat. Though its membership was never large, the CPA was a prominent and outspoken group. The leaders of North Vietnam and South Vietnamese insurgents were painted in simple terms as communists. Historical records preserved at the National Archives provide insight into this critical period. Australia continued supplying financial aid and equipment to South Vietnam and other SEATO protectorates. This Vietnam War website is created and maintained by Alpha History. The section on Indochina spans from 1950 to 1964, ending with President Lyndon Johnson’s reaction to the Gulf of Tonkin incident, and thus provides an intriguing narrative of the run up to war … Diem’s visit was accompanied by the kind of fanfare usually reserved for a royal visit. A white stone Kimberley point spearhead, measuring 80mm x 30mm. In November 1964, Menzies told Australians that the build-up of communist forces and increases in attacks by communist insurgents required a stronger response in Vietnam. Gorton became increasingly concerned about the lack of consultation between Washington and Canberra. Australia first sent troops to Vietnam in 1962, and increased this commitment, to include Operation Vietcong and Operation Full-On. Menzies retired from politics in early 1966, aged 72, and was replaced by his deputy leader, Harold Holt. The Gulf of Tonkin incident and the direct involvement of US troops caused a shift in Australia’s position. By early 1965 it became clear that South Vietnam could not stave off the communist insurgents and their North Vietnamese comrades for more than a few months. Vietnam War (1954–75), conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The Australian government committed troops to the Vietnam War in 1965. Soldiers pulling on a rope, enjoying a game of tug of war. Usefulness: This picture is useful because it is a primary source, and was taken during the time under investigation. A multilateral body for collective defence against communist aggression, SEATO was effectively an ‘Asian NATO’. Australia responded to a South Vietnamese request by increasing its forces in May 1966. Primary Sources Online - Vietnam War Virtual Vietnam Archive. Prior to World War II, the Australian government still looked to London for leadership, diplomatic guidance and, when necessary, military protection. These Vietnam War documents have been curated by Alpha History authors. “During the Year of the Monkey [1968] the [Australian] press, which had generally supported the war or stuck to feel good stories of heroism and mateship, vigorously changed its tune. For the most part, it seemed the US-Australian alliance had never been stronger. Citation information They represented growing discontent within a portion of the Australian population to the government’s commitment to the Vietnam War in general and conscription in particular. The Vietnam War: Primary Sources. (Australian War Memorial) Source: Vietnam, 1967. Australians operated in smaller units, usually platoons. Student answers will vary. Ian McNeill, The Team; Australian Army advisers in Vietnam, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1984, p470 'Australian soldiers who fought in Vietnam were imbued with the notion of serving an honourable cause at the nation's behest. Prior to World War II, Australia’s foreign policy was strongly influenced by Britain. More than 58,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese died in the war. Through the 1950s Menzies’ government attempted to assert Australia’s importance in the Asia-Pacific region. 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