The australian army and the vietnam war in retrospect in the australian army and the vietnam war. Discuss the btn vietnam war story in pairs and record the main points of your discussion. Australias participation in the war was formally declared at an end when the governorgeneral issued a proclamation on 11 january 1973. Between june 1964 and december 1972 around 3500 new zealand service personnel served in south vietnam. The effect of the vietnam war on the australian society the vietnam war had great political impact and led to deep division within australian society. Military history of australia during the vietnam war is within the scope of wikiproject australia, which aims to improve wikipedias coverage of australia and australia related topics. More than 500 personnel from australia were killed during the vietnam war, and more than 3,000 were wounded. The us had backed the south vietnam government against nationalists and communists who were fighting to reunify vietnam. Australia s participation in the war was formally declared at an end when the governorgeneral issued a proclamation on 11 january 1973. Although australia had been fighting in many wars before it decided to send its military to vietnam in 1962, this was the conflict that changed the country forever. Refer to the australia war memorial and the civics and citizenship following websites for more information.
Unlike the first and second world wars new zealands contribution in terms of personnel was not huge. As part of its preparations for sending troops to the war, the menzies government had earlier announced in november 1964 a. Australias military involvement in the vietnam war was the longest in duration of any war in australias history. Australias involvement in the vietnam war essay 978. The australian people were forced to take the issues about the cold war, vietnam and the arms race seriously because of australias military involvement in vietnam from 1962 to 1972.
Essay on the effect of the vietnam war on the australian. Vietnam pavn often referred to as the nva or north vietnamese army. The official death toll was 521, the thirdlargest of any conflict australia had joined, but far smaller than those of the two world wars. Australia has been involved in a number of wars including the boer war 18991902, world war i 19141918, world war ii 19391945, the korean war 19501953, the vietnam war 19621972 and the gulf war 19901991. But history has largely forgotten the main reasons australia went to war, because the history of the vietnam war has largely been analysed from a us perspective. Between 1969 and 1970, a number of demonstrations took place, culminating in a countrywide protest of 200,000 people. The war provoked deep divisions in australian society and politics, particularly since for the first time young men were conscripted for overseas service in a highly. A clip from ohio pbs that asserts australia didnt decide to spend public money repatriating remains of its soldiers until jan 21, 1966. The vietnamese refugees who changed white australia sbs news. The conflict in vietnam was the longest war in australias history.
Vietnam war, suffice to say for the moment, that the australian commitment to vietnam was largely dictated by political concerns and was therefore limited by the. The book has been painstakingly researched, and attempts to present a balanced view of the war from the points of view of the soldiers, officers, politicians, and families of those involved on both sides, as well as those in australia who grew to detest everything the vietnam war stood for, and in the process. The vietnam war was australias longest and most controve. The vietnam war was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. Oct 22, 20 in the vietnam war, the australian army had achieved valuable experiences in improving their mobility, firepower, communications, and many aspects of joint warfare. The roll contains information from the service records of more than 60,000 military members who served during the vietnam war. In the early 1960s, under the threat from a growing communist insurgency, south vietnamese government repeatedly sought security assistance from the u. Australian citizens offered little opposition to their countrys early involvement in the vietnam war. The vietnam war was australias longest and most controversial military commitment of the 20th century, ending in humiliation for the united states and its allies with the downfall of south. War and health 5 60,000 australian military personnel were sent to vietnam to aid the united states between 1962 and 1972. Army 173rd airborne brigade at bien hoa would be replaced by an independent 1st australian task force 1atf. Since war is often a point of contention, the perspective. It was part of a larger regional conflict as well as a manifestation of the cold war.
At its peak in 1968 the new zealand force only numbered 543. The reasons as to why australia became involved i n the vietnam war have been traditionally painted in the colours of collective security and as part of the anti communist crusade to contain a world wide communist threat. The 1atf would operate in a selected area and independent from the u. Australias involvement in the vietnam war, the political.
Australias military involvement in the vietnam war brian ross. The australian defence force had sustained its biggest losses in wwi, leaving almost 60,000 mostly men behind, and wwii, when the country mourned 27,000 people. It has been written by the lead australian official historian, peter edwards, as a short history to summarise the more expansive nine volume official history of australia s involvement in southeast asian conflicts 19481975. It was the most highly decorated unit in australian military history. Vietnam remained australias longest war until afghanistan. Some reflections on the australian governments commitment to the vietnam war, by peter edwards 3 2. Nationalist leader ho chi minh, who had trained in the soviet union but received aid from the us to fight the japanese during world war ii, declares that the democratic republic of vietnam is the only legal government. American histories of the war, whether intended for a popular ora scholarly. Australian vietnam war history the vietnam war was australias longest military commitment to any conflict.
The team leader of the australian army training team vietnam aattv arrived in. Vietnam had been the longest war in australias history. The first is obvious surprise that australia was involved in vietnam. For many reasons, the australian public know relatively little about what our army did in vietnam. Compulsory military training and universal conscription had been briefly reintroduced in 1951. The australian government and involvement in the vietnam war peter edwards when i say to an american that i am working on a major history of australia s involvement in the post1945 southeast asian conflicts, culminating in the vietnam war, i usually meet one of two reactions. Vietnam war 195475, 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. May 1975, that north vietnam troops overran saigon, now ho chi minh city, and declared victory. On 29 april 1965 prime minister menzies made the announcement, see source 8, that australia would contribute combat troops, including conscripts, to the vietnam war. Americans refer to vietnam, they generally mean the united states in. Up until 1954, north and south vietnam had both been part of french indochina. As the battle raged on, australias involvement in the vietnam war started being contested by those back home. In australias vietnam, dapin reveals that every stage of australias commitment. American readers should be warned that because it looks primarily at the domestic political scene in australia at the time, it does as a consequence refer to characters and e vents which most of you will not be aware of.
The threat that australia needed to defend against at the time was communism spreading from north vietnam into south. Here, therefore, is a survey of australia s vietnam military commitment and experience, both in theatre and on the home front. The only combat troops remaining in vietnam were a platoon guarding the australian embassy in saigon, which was withdrawn in june 1973. The war provoked deep divisions in australian society and politics, particularly because for the first time young men were conscripted for overseas.
It lasted ten year from 1962 to 1972 and involved some 60,000 personnel. Conscription and reactions to the war watch the vietnam birthday ballot video and answer the. Paul hams vietnam the australian war is an excellent read. Australia had quite a large involvement in the vietnam war and it is still considered an important part of our history, as it is the longest australia has been involved in any war. A surge in vietnamese immigration to australia after the vietnam war was the first test for multiculturalism after the white australia policy ended. The vietnam war, and australias part in it, was a major military event, calling for willingness to face death and destruction on the battlefield on the part of those sent there, especially the men of our infantry battalions who formed the spearhead of our forces in vietnam. Australias response to the threat of communism in asia after wwii including.
Vietnam in 1962 until 1969, when australian forces began withdrawing, consist ent with the nixon doctrine of phased withdrawal from the mainland of asia and the policy of vietnamization. Australia and the vietnam war era 5australia and the in this topic you will learn about. Australias involvement in vietnam was driven by a fear of communist expansion in asia and the governments desire to align itself with the united states. It has been written by the lead australian official historian, peter edwards, as a short history to summarise the more expansive nine volume official history of australias involvement in southeast asian conflicts 19481975. Australian government and the involvement in the vietnam war. Australias involvement in the vietnam war opposition to. In this landmark book, awardwinning historian peter edwards skillfully unravels the complexities of the global cold war, decolonization in southeast asia, and australian domestic politics. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australia s leading online bookstore. You will soon be asked to test those ideas against the reality of australian involvement in the vietnam war. Until the vietnam war ended in 1975, australian forces had been fighting somewhere in the world almost consistently since federation in 1901, and without pause from 1939 onwards. Australias involvement in the vietnam war essay 978 words.
If you want to understand australias part in the vietnam war, this book is the best place to start. Why everything you think you know about australias vietnam war is wrongwhen mark dapin first interviewed vietnam veterans and wrote about the war, he swallowed and regurgitated every misconception. May 19, 20 the conflict in vietnam was the longest war in australias history. It provides a unique way of exploring the vietnam war in great detail, through the use of an interactive battle map. In late 1966, australias military intervention in the vietnam war reached a watershed. So australia to go to war, in my opinion, was the right thing to do. Australia and the vietnam war by peter edwards overdrive. Australian advisor with arvn troopsctsy australia at war abc tv. Australias involvement in the vietnam war began with a small commitment of 30 military advisors in 1962, and increased over the following decade to a peak of 7,672 australian personnel following the menzies governments april 1965 decision to upgrade its military commitment to south vietnams security. Australias involvement in vietnam and studies dedicated to the australian american alliance in the cold war period. Australia and the vietnam war randwick city library. The vietnam war was australias longest and most controversial military commitment of the twentieth century, ending in humiliation for the united states and its allies with the downfall of south vietnam.
Military history of australia during the vietnam war wikipedia. Which was the deadliest battle for australian troops in the war. Mar 01, 2014 if you want to understand australia s part in the vietnam war, this book is the best place to start. The australias vietnam war website was created by the military operations analysis team moat at the university of new south wales canberra.
Jun 05, 2014 australia s involvement in the vietnam war. If south vietnam were to fall to communism, and as the domino effect theory suggested would happen other asian countries like thailand, myanmar and malaya were to follow. Between 1962 and 1975, about 60 000 australians served in vietnam or its waters and airspace. The arrival of the australian army training team vietnam aattv in south vietnam during july and august 1962 was the beginning of australia s involvement in the vietnam war. The involvement of australian women in each war is closely connected to their role in society at different times, and the nature of each war. Few outside australia and new zealand today even realize that australian troops fought in the vietnam war in the 1960s. High this article has been rated as highimportance on the projects importance. The book has been painstakingly researched, and attempts to present a balanced view of the war from the points of view of the soldiers, officers, politicians, and families of those involved on both sides, as well as those in australia who grew to detest everything the vietnam war stood for, and in the process condemned the. Australias official history vietnam war books on war. On 8 march 1966, the australian government announced that the 1st battalion, royal australia regiment 1rar, which was then a part of the u. There were 4 victoria crosses awarded to australians during the vietnam war. These worksheets give an overview of australia s war in vietnam. It had cost the country 220 million dollars, 521 dead and a little over 3,000 wounded. Jul 02, 2019 australian soldiers hold a ceremony to honour a fallen colleague, 1965.
While the second will deal primarily with the political decisions to become involved in the vietnam war, suffice to say for the moment, that the australian. The arrival of the australian army training team vietnam aattv in south vietnam during july and august 1962 was the beginning of australias involvement in the vietnam war. Jul 28, 2014 the arrival of the australian army training team vietnam aattv in south vietnam during july and august 1962 was the beginning of australia s involvement in the vietnam war. This is the second post promised analysing why australia entered the vietnam war. The australias vietnam war website was created by the military operations analysis team moat at the university of new south wales canberra it provides a unique way of exploring the vietnam war in great detail, through the use of an interactive battle map. They also established themselves as an expert in light infantry operations in jungle operations and counter revolutionary warfare. When americans refer to vietnam, they generally mean the united states in vietnam. The arrival of the australian army training team vietnam aattv in south vietnam during july and august 1962 was the. The vietnam war is also known as the second indochina war. Australia and the vietnam war why did australia enter the war in 1965.
Australias involvement in the vietnam war 888 words 4 pages. The vietnam war was australia s longest and most controversial military commitment of the 20th century, ending in humiliation for the united states and its allies with the downfall of south vietnam. Military history of australia during the vietnam war. The war provoked deep divisions in australian society and politics, particularly since for the first time young men were conscripted for overseas service in a highly contentious ballot. Anti vietnam war activism in australia, by jeffrey grey 55 4. B this article has been rated as bclass on the projects quality scale. The entry of australia into the vietnam conflict was the culmination of over 15 years of domestic and foreign policy for successive australian governments. Australia was prepared for another war psychologically, australia had been prepared for another war since the conflict in korea. Australian operations in the vietnam war are chronicled in the official history of australias involvement in southeast asian conflicts 19481975. The australian forces barely rate a mention in the standard works. Attitudes to the vietnam war shrine of remembrance. Aug 04, 2017 the official death toll was 521, the thirdlargest of any conflict australia had joined, but far smaller than those of the two world wars. Australia s involvement in the vietnam war began with a small commitment of 30 military advisors in 1962, and increased over the following decade to a peak of 7,672 australian personnel following the menzies governments april 1965 decision to upgrade its military commitment to south vietnam s security. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australias leading online bookstore.
Military history of australia during the vietnam war is within the scope of wikiproject australia, which aims to improve wikipedias coverage of australia and australiarelated topics. The nominal roll of vietnam veterans was prepared by the department of veterans affairs dva. Australias vietnam war the history of the australianamerican relationship is a long and uneven one, and something of its course needs to be understood if we are to appreciate the context in which australia went to war alongside the united states. These worksheets give an overview of australias war in vietnam. The vietnam war an australian perspective compiled from records and historical articles by r freshfield introduction what is referred to as the vietnam war began for the us in the early 1950s when it deployed military advisors to support south vietnam forces. Opposition came from groups like youth campaign against conscription ycac, founded in 1964, and save our sons sos, founded in 1965. Australia had already demonstrated its eagerness to stop the spread of monolithic communism by going to war in korea. The australian government committed troops to the vietnam war in 1965. At home the communist party of australia had changed its name to the australian communist party acp in. If you would like to participate, visit the project page. The australian army and the vietnam war, by ian mcneill, with an addendum by jeffrey grey 16 3.
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