The Vietnam War – Australia's Involvement

Concept: Global Interaction

Inquiry Question: Was the Vietnam War a people's war OR a war of the Super
Powers?
To Know:
What was Australia's attitude
towards people from Asia during
The Cold War?
What is the domino theory?
What was Australia's role in the
Vietnam War?
What was the ANZUS What was
Agreement? SEATO?
Why did AUS want US What is a Forward
involvement Vietnam? Defense Policy?
What was the nature of
warfare for Australian
soldiers?

ACTIVITIES
READ

Pages 59-67 -
ANSWER
Review Question
Questions
1) Under what conditions of the SEATO
treaty would Australia be obliged to
fight in Vietnam? (p60)
2) Why was Australia encouraging
United States involvement in Vietnam?
(p61)
3) Was Australia taking advantage of the
Americans’ commitment to Vietnam?
(p61)
4) Why was it important for Australia to
receive a request from the South
Vietnamese? Was it received? (p63)
5) What evidence is there that Menzies
believed in the domino theory? (p63)
6) What were Menzies’ real reasons for
sending troops? (p63)
7) What is the tone of these two
accounts? Does the tone reveal the
authors’ attitudes towards the war?
Answers
1. Australia would be obliged to fight in
Vietnam under the SEATO treaty if the
aggression was directed against the
territories of any of the parties, including
Australia, or if there was an attack on the
armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft of
any of the parties while in the Pacific area.
2. Australia was encouraging United States
involvement in Vietnam because it believed
in the domino theory, which suggested that
if one country in Southeast Asia fell to
communism, neighbouring countries would
also fall like a row of dominoes. Australia
saw the spread of communism as a threat
to its security and interests in the region.
3. There is no clear evidence to suggest that
Australia was taking advantage of the
Americans' commitment to Vietnam.
Australia was primarily concerned about
the spread of communism in Southeast
Asia and saw its involvement in Vietnam as
a way to contain this threat.
(p67)
8) What attitudes do they both show
towards the Vietnamese? (p67)
9) As the first task force operation,
should this be seen as a success? (p67)
10) How would it have been reported in
Australia at the time? (p67)
4. It was important for Australia to receive a
request from the South Vietnamese
government for assistance because it
would legitimize Australia's involvement in
the eyes of the international community
and provide a legal basis for its actions. It is
unclear if such a request was received.
5. Menzies believed in the domino theory,
which suggests that he believed that if
South Vietnam fell to communism, other
countries in Southeast Asia would also fall,
including Australia. This belief likely
influenced his decision to send troops to
Vietnam.
6. Menzies' real reasons for sending troops to
Vietnam are complex and may include a
desire to support the United States, a belief
in the domino theory, and a desire to
secure Australia's interests in Southeast
Asia.
7. The tone of the two accounts is not
specified, so it is difficult to determine the
authors' attitudes towards the war.
However, the tone of the accounts could
vary depending on the authors'
perspectives and the context in which they
were written.
8. The attitudes of the authors towards the
Vietnamese are not explicitly stated in the
questions. However, attitudes towards the
Vietnamese during the Vietnam War were
often influenced by cultural, political, and
social factors. Some Australians may have
viewed the Vietnamese as enemies or as
victims of communism, while others may
have had more sympathetic views.
9. Whether the first task force operation
should be seen as a success is subjective
and depends on the criteria used to
evaluate it. Some may argue that the
operation achieved its objectives, while
others may argue that it did not.
10. The reporting of the first task force
operation in Australia at the time would
likely have been influenced by the
 prevailing attitudes towards the war. Some
reports may have portrayed it as a success,
while others may have been more critical.
Overall, the reporting would have been
shaped by the political and social context
of the time.

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