Vietnam How Australia Got Involved Essays - Vietnam War

Vietnam ? How Australia Got Involved 1. In what way was Australia involved in Vietnam in 1965 ? In 1962 the Government of Australia decided in, response to a request from the South Vietnamese Government, to supply them with military aid. At that time, 30 instructors were sent to assist in the training of the South Vietnamese defense forces. Unofficially, in 1962, troops were sent in to train the South Vietnamese and act as a militia. The Australian public was not made aware of this until many years later after the conclusion of the war in 1972. In 1965, the war was officially declared and the public was made aware of this through the media. During this time (1965 to 1972) Australia supported the US and South Vietnam. However, Australia and the US were more concerned about the threat of a possible spread of communism rather than the well being of the South Vietnamese. In 1965, conscription was introduced to the Australian public in order to provide further assistance to the South Vietnamese. This was not widely supported by the public with many people refusing to attend the war and being putt in jail for a minimum of two years. 2. What were the reasons that Prime Minister Menzies gave that we should be fighting in Vietnam ? Both Robert Menzies and Lyndon Johnson were willing to send in troops for one main reason. Both Menzies and Johnson feared or were concerned about a possible spread of communism within South-East Asia and even as far south as Australia. They were not too particularly concerned about the well being of the Southern Vietnamese. This is portrayed further in ?For Australia's Sake' as a drawing of a communist man fighting in Vietnam with his shadow stretching down almost to northern Australia. Standing on the mainland of Australia is Menzies pointing at the threat. On top of this there is a comment in the drawing, ? A murky shadow has fallen over this part of the world, reaching to our very shores ?