Vietnam War Flashcards
Cause of division of Europe
After World War 2 ended, the world was divided into two ‘Blocs’ and led by two super powers: Soviet Union and the USA. Initially during WW2, the Soviets, the British and Americans were allies however at the end of WW2 this changed.
Germany was divided up, with the Soviet army sweeping through Eastern Europe while the American army swept through the west. They both had intentions of “freeing” the Europeans. But the Soviets didn’t want to let go of the countries they had freed. This was the creation of the Eastern Bloc.
Duration of the cold war
The Cold War lasted from 1947 to 1991. It lasted 46 years and was a time of suspicion, rivalry and conflict.
Communist ideology
Based on the idea that classes must be removed, even through the use of violence so that all were equal.
People do not vote, the party in charge makes all the decisions (dictatorship- rulership by one person or the army).
Leader
The leader of the ruling party is very powerful and in control. They choose when to give up their power.
Economy
The government owns everything, all the wealth is distributed equally to all citizens no matter their job, education, productivity.
Society
Very little freedom of speech.
Religion is not allowed.
Everyone has a job.
The rights of everyone is more important than the single person.
Foreign Policy
Promotes communism and supports communist states
Capitalism Ideology
Countries
Australia, USA, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy.
Background
American Revolution in 1776: the USA cut ties from Britain.
Based on the idea that all people have the right to be free and equal.
Individualism
Government
Everyone has the right to vote, with multiple parties to choose from.
Democracy (rule of the people).
Leader
Leader can be changed with every election.
Economy
Government tries not to interfere with business, most of which is privately owned.
People earn as much or as little as their business lets them.
Society
Freedom of speech and religion.
Great poverty and wealth divide.
Some people are homeless and/or unemployed.
Individuals have rights.
Foreign Policy
Promotes democracies and capitalism in other countries.
Cause of name (the cold war)
The two strongest powers on each side, the USA and the USSR, maintained a hostile position without going to war with each other.
Part of the reason for avoiding direct conflict was because both sides had nuclear weapons.
If either side launched a nuclear attack, the other would retaliate, resulting in the destruction of both.
How did the cold war begin
It began in the late 1940s with renewed hostility between the Soviet Union (USSR) and its former western allies.
Soon after World War 2, Communist governments were set up in several eastern European countries after they were freed from the control of the German Nazis. Then a Communist government took over North Korea and also in China the Communists won power after a long civil war.
This resulted in the western powers believing that it seemed like communism would take over the world.
Fear of communism became the main influence on western foreign policies throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
Western countries even supported corrupt leaders in other nations, purely because they held an anti communism stance.
Therefore this period of conflict between East v West became known as the Cold War.
Although it began in Europe but extended to the Asia–Pacific region (e.g. Vietnam).
Australia’s response to communism
- Domestic responses (ban the communist party and spread propaganda and incite fear Petrov affair)
- International responses (Forward defence policy, joined the fight in Vietnam, joined the fight in Korea and alliances ANZUS and SEATO
How did the government use communism to win the election?
The growing fear of communism became an Australian election issue in 1949.
As an election promise, the leader of the Liberal Party, Robert Menzies, pledged that he would try to outlaw the Communist Party in Australia.
Many Australians were convinced of the danger and voted for Mr Menzies’ Liberal Party.
What did the legislation propose?
In 1950, the Liberal Party government led by Menzies introduced the Communist Party Dissolution Bill into federal parliament.
The legislation proposed to:
Outlaw the Communist Party.
Permit government to take possession of all property belonging to the Communist Party.
Prohibit anyone declared as a communist from holding a job in the trade union movement or in a government organisation.
Cons of Communist Party Dissolution Bill
It threatened individual rights and freedoms. If someone was declared a communist, it was up to the accused to prove his or her innocence and the damage could be done from the accusation of being communist, alone.
Reaction of Communist Party Dissolution Bill
It was opposed. Ten trade unions and the Australian Communist Party challenged the Bill in the Australian High Court.
The High Court agreed and ruled that the Bill was unconstitutional.
SO WHAT DOES THIS ACTUALLY MEAN?
The Communist Dissolution Bill could not be made into a law in Australia.
Referendum results
Prime Minister Menzies was not happy and announced his intention to go to the people through a referendum to outlaw and crush the Communist Party in Australia.
In the referendum the Australian people cast
2, 317 927 YES votes and
2, 370 009 NO votes on 22 September 1951.
Mixed feelings of referendum
THOSE WHO VOTED NO:
Happy that the idea of democracy was upheld
THOSE WHO VOTED YES:
Fearful of the threat of communism that they still saw in Australia
Role of propaganda
The role of the propaganda was to instil fear into everyday Australian people, to convince them to ban communists in Australia and justify going to war.
Describe the Petrov Affair
He worked as a Soviet Diplomat in Canberra.
He use to work in Russia in their security service for 20 years.
He defected, & states he has detailed documents proving there is a Soviet Communist Spy ring operating in Australia.
Basically, he is saying he was a communist spy & there are communist spy rings in Australia.
In return for him supplying evidence to prove there was a spy ring, Petrov is offered ‘political asylum’ (protection from their own country by a new country).
However, Petrov’s wife was not protected and given political asylum.
The Soviets quickly took Petrov’s wife from her house & effectively placed her under house arrest at the Soviet Embassy.
Next, two armed couriers from Moscow arrived to escort her back to Russia (and, presumably, punishment and possibly death).
Approximately 3000 people witnessed Mrs Petrov being dragged onto the plane.
Mrs Petrov, while on the flight, tells the hostess that the men had guns & she wants to stay in Australia (despite the consequences for her family in Russia).
When the plane stopped to refuel in Darwin, the Australian police arrested the 2 Soviets and offered Petrov’s wife asylum in Australia too.
Conveniently the Petrov documents stated the opposition leader of the Labour party was involved in the spy ring. This assisted in the Liberal Party gaining popularity and advantage to win the next election.
Summary of korean war
MAP ONE: In 1950, the North invaded the South with Stalin’s (USSR) blessing.
MAP TWO: The United States intervened to defend South Korea and not only repelled the invasion force but continued on to invade into the north.
MAP THREE: That triggered an intervention from China, which helped push the Americans back to the south.
MAP FOUR: After 3 years of fighting, the two sides fought to a stalemate and kept the country divided. North remained communist while the South remained western –friendly.
What did the korean war show?
The Korean war displayed the hesitance from both sides to use nuclear warfare and became useful for anti – communist propaganda.
3 alliances to build a more secure position for Australia in the world “under the US wing.”
- The ANZUS Agreement of 1951 — Australia, New Zealand and the United States agreed to come to one another’s aid in the event of attack.
- The SEATO alliance of 1954 — the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation provided for defensive action to be taken in the event of an attack on the United States, Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the Philippines or Pakistan. South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos were also guaranteed protection under the treaty’s security arrangements.
- NATO alliance of 1949 — North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Brief History of Vietnam
Vietnam was a colonised by the French from the 1880s onwards. The Vietnamese were treated like many colonised nations, exploited for resources and many farmers lost land and wealth. When the French fell in World War 2, the Japanese took this opportunity to take over Vietnam. However, the Vietnamese no longer wanted to be colonialised and wanted independence.
Ho Chi Minh, a Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader, led a long and ultimately successful campaign to make Vietnam independent. He fought the Japanese from 1941 onward and established the Communist-ruled Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945.
The French decided to return to Vietnam after World War Two to reclaim their colony, however, this only resulted in the First Indochina war. After eight years of war, the French were defeated at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and forced to agree to peace talks in Geneva.
