1. Why Did Australia Fight In The Vietnam War?
Why did we send 47,000 men and women to Vietnam?

2. Fear of communism There was a growing fear of communism
The invasion of the North Korean communists into democratic South Korea was seen as a threat to democracy
Sending troops to Vietnam was a move to support democracy

4. Situation in Vietnam
Vietnam was once a colony of France
After WW2 the Vietnamese fought a war against the French and became an independent country
The leader of this fight was Ho Chi Minh
He was a communist leader in Vietnam
Vietnam split in two at the 17th parallel in 1954
The north was communist
The south was democratic
The presence of communists in Vietnam worried countries like Australia and USA

6. The Domino Theory
Australian and American politicians felt that if Vietnam fell to communism then other countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia would also fall to the communists

7. The Domino Theory

8. Previous examples
Australia’s involvement in the Korean War
Communist North Korea was fighting democratic South Korea
The Malayan Emergency 1955
Communists were becoming influential and fighting a guerilla war in Malaya

9. Previous examples
Australia’s involvement in the Korean War
Communist North Korea was fighting democratic South Korea
The Malayan Emergency 1955
Communists were becoming influential and fighting a guerilla war in Malaya

10. PM Menzies…
We have decidedand this has been after close consultation with the Government of the United States to provide an infantry battalion for service in South Vietnam
There can be no doubt of the gravity of the situation in South Vietnam.
The takeover of South Vietnam would be a direct military threat to Australia and all the countries of South and South-East Asia. It must be seen as part of a thrust by Communist China between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

12. Alliances ANZUS The ANZUS agreement of 1951.
Australia, New Zealand and the United States agree to come to each other’s aid in the event of an attack

13. Alliance SEATO The SEATO Treaty of 1954.
This treaty set out that action would be taken if the following countries were attacked: USA, Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand or Pakistan.
South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos were also guaranteed protection

15. Australia sends troops to Vietnam
The Australian government felt that the best way to deal with communist threats was to send troops to the threat
In 1962 Australia sent 30 military advisers to assist US forces in South Vietnam

16. Countries that went to war in Vietnam
Eight countries supported South Vietnam in its struggle with North Vietnam
United States of America
Australia
New Zealand
South Korea
The Philippines
Thailand
Spain
Taiwan

17. Open conflict escalates
In 1964 the USA claimed that the North Vietnamese had bombed its ships in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam
The USA began bombing raids on Vietnam

19. Open conflict escalates
Australia sent its First Infantry Batallion and HMAS Sydney to Vietnam in 1965
Then, in 1966, Australia increased its military commitment in Vietnam by a factor of three
Total war decsended on Vietnam