what are the reasons for australia's intervention in the vietnam war?

Question

please give links please.. thnks.. =)

Answer 1

Cold War rethoric and scaremongering.

"In 1949 the wartime Labor government (led after Curtin's death in 1945 by Ben Chifley) was defeated by a Liberal government headed by Menzies, who became Australia's longest-serving prime minister and the dominant figure in Australian politics until the 1960s. Menzies exploited Cold War fears to retain office, and in 1951 he narrowly failed to win a referendum to allow him to ban the Communist Party."

"Menzies also maintained the alliance with the United States, sending Australian troops to the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Australia's participation in Vietnam, and particularly the use of conscription, became politically contentious and saw massive protests, though they were for the most part peaceful."

"History of Australia since 1945 : Postwar Australia" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Australia_since_1945#Postwar_Australia

"Over the next few years, however, the anti-communist atmosphere of the early Cold War began to erode Labor's support. In 1947, Chifley announced that he intended to nationalise Australia's private banks, arousing intense middle-class opposition which Menzies successfully exploited. In 1949 a bitter coal-strike, engineered by the Communist Party, also played into Menzies's hands. In December 1949 he won the election and again became Prime Minister."

"In 1965 Menzies made the fateful decision to commit Australian troops to the Vietnam War, and also to reintroduce conscription. These moves were initially popular, but later became a problem for his successors. Despite his pragmatic acceptance of the new power balance in the Pacific after World War II and his strong support for the American alliance, he publicly professed continued admiration for links with Britain, exemplified by his admiration for Queen Elizabeth II, and famously described himself as "British to the bootstraps"."

"Robert Menzies" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Robert_Menzies

Answer 2

When has an Aussie ever passed up the excuse for a good fight and in the cold light of the early 1960 s it seemed like a good idea. Imagine how hated Librals are now in US of A circa 2007, it was actually worse for anyone dubbed Communist and experts insisted that the Communist were taking over Earth and with Vietnam within spitting distance of Australia well heck, them darn Communist would be pouring into Australia next. Next year, or month or maybe next week.

What is truly puzzling circa 2007 is that if the fight in Iraq is so important why are there not at least a Hundred Thousand Australians there if anything as Peace Keepers? That is what ought to be asked.

Peace....

Answer 3

Yes, three issues: the fear of Asians generally; the desire to be 'good allies' to America and thus secure US support if Australia needed it; and fear of communism.

The Menzies Government had a pathological hatred of communism and subscribed to the Domino Theory that if Vietnam fell to communism so would Thailand, Malaya (where Australians also fought communist insurgents) and then, critically, Indonesia. The emerging Indonesian Government was seen as hostile to Australia but the US position was ambiguous- Australia had to support the US war in Vietnam to ensure that if need be the US would put aside its own interest and support Australia in any war with Indonesia.

In fact Australia's diplomatic history with Indonesia is one of appeasement because of the unwillingness of the US to antagonise anti-communist Indonesian governments.

The commitment must be seen in the context of the Japanese capture of Singapore in February 1942 and the subsequent panic, and the relief when US power guaranteed Australia's security- all this was well remembered in the 1960s. the political rivalry between the Menzies conservative government and the divided and ineffectual Labor Party also played an important role in the government's decision, if not in the popular support of it.