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Australia’s response to the threat of communism after WWII
Def: communism is a system of society in which all property is owned by the community.
 1920s, believers tried to influence trade unions and the ALP
 No private ownership of business or property, all the country’s wealth is owned and shared among the population
 Everyone is equal and no-one profits from others. International movement, can spread from country to country
 1917 Vladimir Lenin, established communist state, USSR and Communist International
 Symbols: red, hammer and sickle
 WW2, USSR and USA co-operation ended in 1945 – those who supported capitalism, and those who supported communism.
 Yalta Conference February 1945, Germany and Berlin split into four zones: USA, USSR, Britain and France
 Cold war and problem of nuclear weapons
 Communism in Europe then China 1948, Cold War came to Asia (French Indochina, Korea)
In Asia
Korean War, 1953
 North Korean communist troops invaded South Korea, 25th June 1953, pushed South back to southern tip of country
 UN troops landed, drove North back to Chinese border, China became involved, UN driven back
 War ended when a settlement was negotiated and Korea was divided, 38th parallel
 Devastating damage, both North and South, aid necessary
 North USSR, South USA, each side wanted unity and control of the entire country
 After North invaded (with USSR aid), USA (Republic of Korea) requested aid from the UN; soldiers from 15 nations incl. Australia involved, Australian
airmen first to provide armed support to the American troops already in Korea.
 PM Menzies faced little opposition; Many Australians believed it was necessary to take action to stop the spread of communism and help ‘free people’
live a democratic system of government. Troops convinced they were fighting for the safety of Australia.
 September 1950, counterattack, General Douglas MacArthur, captured North Korean capital, offensive 24 th November
 27th July 1953, truce. Cost 359 Australian lives, 1068 wounded.
 War portrayed as a battle between good and evil.
ANZUS, 1951, between Australia, New Zealand and the United States
 Aust wanted to enhance our security in the region (other countries would have to come others’ defence in the event of an attack)
 Resulted from fear of communist expansion in the Asia-Pacific region and Australia’s desire to have America as a strong ally
 Partners declared sense of unity to support each other in an armed attack
SEATO, 1954, Australia, New Zealand, United States, France, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and the United Kingdom
 Formed to prevent the spread of communism in SE Asia (external aggression), and to Australia
 Signaled major interest of Australia in foreign affairs: Malaya Campaign
BOTH ANZUS & SEATO: gave Aust reassurance that they were no longer an isolated former British colony
 Gave Government more money for domestic policies (economy), reduced expenditure on defence.
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In Australia
The 1949 Election
 After 30 years of war and depression, Australians wanted stability and security
 Many Australians became fearful of the Communist Party of Australia and its activities (propaganda)
 Liberal Party took advantage of anti-communist fear – promoted themselves as an alternative to the present Labor government
 Liberals promised to stop nationalization of the banks and petrol rationing, and pledged to ban the Communist Party of Australia
Attempt to outlaw the Communist Party of Australia
 Criticism continued into the 1950s, Menzies; elections promise to ban the CPA, continued to have the anti-communist feeling
 ‘innocent until proven guilty’, ALP said it infringed people’s civil liberties
 Communist Party Dissolution Act 1950 became a law in October; appealed to High Court and won (unconstitutional), Menzies held a referendum, ‘No’
vote – failed
The Petrov Affair, 1954
 Anti-communist feeling began to grow after 1951 referendum. Herbert Evatt became ALP leader. Appeared to be able to win the 1954 election
 Communist ‘spy’ cancelled ALP support. Vladimir Petrov defected, evidence of a spy ring, uproar through Australia
 Menzies announced investigation in the Petrov Affair, no criminal charge laid, but Menzies received all election support
Split of the Labor Party, 1955
 ALP began to fall apart, split with the right-wing calling itself the DLP, led by B. A. Santamaria, anti-communist.
 Split weakened ALP support, took many years to recover, Liberal leadership for the next 18 years
Reasons for Australia’s Involvement in Vietnam
Vietnam War: background
 Vietnam was divided along the 17th Parallel at the Geneva Conference, 1954. North: communist, under Ho Chi Minh. South: anti-communist, led by Americansupported Ngo Dinh Diem. Planned re-unification at the elections in 1956 was cancelled – Diem refused to hold democratic elections
 Viet Minh supported resistance movements increased in the South, South was weakened by internal divisions, Diem needed external help
American Involvement
 Traced back to the first Indo-China War, when US gave financial support to the French. US saw Vietnam as a gateway into Asia for the spread of govt systems
 South had to be defended from communism, US send advisors to at Diem, helped equip Republic of Vietnam’s Army,
 Gulf of Tonkin incident, gave US excuse to begin offensives in the North and the conflict began to escalate, March 1965, first US marines arrived, bombing
 Operation Rolling Thunder March 1965 – November 1968. By 1966 full-scale war but never formally declared
 58 000 American soldiers died
Australia’s Involvement
 Why:
o American alliance through ANZUS and SEATO
o Fear of ‘domino theory’ and spread of communism to Australia
o Requests from the US and the Government of South Vietnam
 How:
o Australia had military advisors since 1962, 1965 infantry battalion
o Participation was gradual, troop numbers build up over a number of years as Viet Cong insurgencies increased
o By 1971 nearly 50 000 Australian had fought in Vietnam, large number were conscripts. 520 died, 2000 injured.
o Australians were experienced fighting the Viet Cong in the jungle
o Battle of Long Tan 1966, won, showed Viet Cong Australian jungle warfare background, unlike the Americans
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Differing Views of Australia’s Involvement in the Vietnam War
Supporters of the War
 Australians were initially quite supportive of the Vietnam War; as it dragged on, country became deeply divided over Vietnam
 Most newspapers supported the government, but their support was muted, drew attention to the fact there was no alternative
 Liberal Party united behind Menzies’ decision to go to war, supported by the Democratic Labor Party (split with ALP in 1955)
 Some Catholic opposition, majority of Catholics supported, even though Pope wanted negotiations and a peaceful resolution
 Many people supported the war without questioning why they did so (prestige in the world, right thing to do), also many who were genuinely unconcerned about SE
Asia (for the government and the army to sort out, too far away)
Opposition to the War
 Anti-war protests since 1962, when first advisors sent to Vietnam, not a new event in 1965
 ALP only opposition in Parliament, found it hard to keep the vote and maintain anti-war; saw the war as a civil war in which Australia should not be involved
 Trade unions followed ALP policy to support the soldiers, but not the war. Unions believed the government sacrificing lives of troops to receive US money in Aust
 Some Anglican hierarchy supported the government, but there was strong anti-war movement by other Protestant Churches (Canberra Vigil condemning both the
government for sending troops and the communists in Vietnam
 Anti-war ideas originally cautious in universities, but eventually became one of the main sources of anti-war activities
 General dissent among general public
The Developing Anti-War Movement
 1967-69, anti-war opinion grew in Australia:
o Conscription, birthday lottery. Vietnam was the first time conscripts went abroad during peace-time. Groups, e.g. Save Our Sons, started anti-conscription, then
became anti-war. Many men objected to National Service, refused to register of attend when called up. Result: 2-years gaol
o Early protests, religious groups and the Communist Party of Australia. Encouraged Pacifists – granted exemption.
o Anti-conscription groups: Draft Resistance Movement, Students for a Democratic Society, Youth Against Conscription, SOS
o TV reporting, first war with media, people saw real dangers; more anti-war opposition. Tet Offensive, 31st January 1968 – war was un-winnable
o By 1969, many people had become both anti-conscription and anti-war
The Moratorium Movement
 By 1970 anti-war movement changed, protests became organised, National-wide mass demonstrations. Aim: withdrawal from Vietnam, removal of National Service
 1969 government promised to start the withdrawal of troops
 First moratorium demonstration 8th May 1970, over 200 000 people took part across Australia
 Two more moratorium campaigns took place in September 1970 and June 1971, showed Australian opinion was becoming increasingly anti-war
 As America was, Australia began to withdraw its forces, the majority of Australian troops were home by December 1971
 Small advisory force was left to continue training the South Vietnamese Army
 December 1972 Labor won the Federal Election and immediately abolished conscription and brought the last troops still in Vietnam home
 Americans pulled out in 1973, by 1975, Vietnam was united under communist rule
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The Impact of the War
Australia-Asia Relations
 After Vietnam War, closer relationship with East Asia
 Whitlam wanted to separate Australian foreign policy from American and British foreign policy: recognized People’s Republic of China
 Whitlam also wanted to create an alternative to the ‘forward defence’ policy
 Asian trade markets are an alternative to American and European markets. Closer relationships with China, South Korea and Japan
 Working relationship established with the new communist regime in Vietnam
 Unlikely that Australia was ever under threat of communist invasion from the North
 Australia now firmly a part of the Pacific region, over 60% of exports go to Asian markets
Veterans and their Families
 Psychological
o Shocked with the reception they received when they came home, angry they were not properly welcomed
o No one really knew how to deal with the after-effects of fighting in Vietnam, different from other wars
o Many veterans have had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, stressful situations in Vietnam
o Many Australians were unwilling to acknowledge what happened at Vietnam, do not really understand what the veterans have gone through
 Physical
o Many veterans believed they were poisoned by chemicals which fighting in Vietnam – over 17 million gallons of herbicides used
o ‘Agent Orange’, high levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, caused cancer
Indo-Chinese Refugees
 Over 2 million became refugees after the war, many desperate to leave Indo=China, fear of government persecution under communist regimes
 Crowded into boats, ‘boat people’, put into overcrowded, unsanitary camps.
 First arrived in Australia, near Darwin April 1976
 1979 Orderly Departure Program to stop the boat people
 Re-settlement programs to clear the refugee camps, then had to try to make new lives for themselves. Did not know the language or the culture.
Australian Culture
 By 1970s, Australia much more liberal society
 Politics, gender roles, fashion and beliefs all started to change
 ‘White Australia’ policy ended and migrants and refugees began arriving from Asia
 From 1975-1985, 90 000 Indo-Chinese refugees arrived
 Some support for Asian migration because of new multiculturalism policy
 Rights and opportunities for Indigenous people changed
 More Liberal society, promoting equality and opportunity
 War brought change in politics and culture
 Year after the war saw change in the makeup of the Australian population
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Australia’s response to the threat of communism in
Asia after WWII including:
Korean War
ANZUS Treaty
SEATO Alliance


Outline the key developments in Australia’s response
to communism within Australia
-
The response to the threat of communism within
Australia, including
referendum to ban the Communist Party
the Petrov Affair

Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War


Differing views of Australia’s involvement in the
Vietnam War, e.g.
supporters of the war
conscientious objectors
the moratorium movement

Explain the reasons for Australia’s involvement in the
Vietnam War
Explain the reasons why different groups within
Australia supported or opposed Australia’s
involvement in the Vietnam War
Select appropriate sources that reflect different
perspectives about Australia’s involvement in the
Vietnam War



-
The impact of the war on ONE of the following:
Vietnam veterans and families
Indo-Chinese refugees
Australian culture
Australia’s relations with Asia



Sequence the key events in Australia’s response to
the threat of communism in Asia after WWII
Explain the purpose of the treaties Australia
contracted during this period
Assess the impact of the war on the chosen study