Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
5.1 How and why did the Australian government
respond to the threat of communism after
World War II?
Working
historically
Comprehension
1
Write a definition of:
a communism
b capitalism
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193
c cold war
2
Who was Lenin?
3
What symbols are used to represent communism?
Analysis and use of sources
1
Look at source 5.4. What symbols can you identify?
2
What was the purpose of source 5.4? Explain in your own words the message of this
cartoon.
Perspectives and interpretations
What is the point of view expressed in source 5.4?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Working
historically
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
Comprehension
1
Is the Republic of Korea known as North or South Korea?
2
What led to the Korean War?
3
What does BCOF stand for?
4
Who were the first Australians to be involved in the Korean War?
5
Who commanded the United Nations forces in Korea?
6
How was the Korean War portrayed to Australians?
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Analysis and use of sources
1
How does source 5.7 help us to understand the Australian attitude to fighting in Korea?
2
What care should we take when using source 5.8 as evidence about the Korean War?
3
What was the purpose of source 5.8?
Perspectives and interpretations
1
Whose perspective is presented in source 5.8?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
2
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
How does the author of source 5.8 try to persuade the reader that communism is bad
and must be stopped?
Empathetic understanding
Explain the attitude of many Australians towards communism in the 1950s.
Working
historically
Comprehension
1
What does ANZUS stand for, and when was the treaty signed?
2
Why was ANZUS created?
3
What does SEATO stand for, and who were its members?
4
Who was John Dulles?
5
What was the purpose of SEATO?
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Analysis and use of sources
1
How does source 5.10 help us to understand the purpose of ANZUS at the time?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
2
Explain what is meant by ‘In the past it has been one of the traditions of Australian
government that commitments are not accepted in advance, that such matters are for
determination by the government and parliament if and when war occurs’.
3
What was Menzies’ purpose in source 5.12?
4
Look at source 5.13. What does the snake represent?
5
What events does source 5.13 refer to?
6
What was the purpose of source 5.13?
Empathetic understanding
How would Australians at the time have reacted to source 5.13?
Working
historically
Comprehension
1
Outline the history of the Communist Party of Australia from 1920 to 1944.
2
What was the membership of the CPA in the 1930s?
3
How did Menzies try to create fear about communists?
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201
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
4
What did Menzies propose in his legislation to ban communists in Australia?
5
On what date did Menzies present the Communist Party Dissolution Bill to the House of
Representatives?
Analysis and use of sources
1
What do you think Menzies meant by ‘The importance of the Australian Communist is,
therefore, not numerical but positional’ (source 5.14)?
2
How does source 5.14 help us to understand attitudes to communism in Australia in
the 1950s?
Perspectives and interpretations
What do we learn about Cold War attitudes from source 5.14?
Working
historically
Comprehension
1
Why was Menzies’ Bill to ban the Communist Party passed in the lower house in 1950?
2
Why didn’t the Bill become law?
3
What section of the Labor Party opposed communism?
4
What happened in March 1951?
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203
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
5
When was the referendum on communism held?
6
Describe the results of the referendum.
Analysis and use of sources
1
Look at source 5.15. Why did Chifley oppose the Communist Party Dissolution Bill?
2
Look at source 5.17. Rewrite the referendum question in simpler language, but keep the
same meaning.
3
Source 5.17 mentions ‘security’, ‘defence’ and ‘communism’ together. Which of the
following does this suggest?
• Communism would bring security to Australia.
• Australia was threatened by communism.
Explain your choice.
Empathetic understanding
Although many Australians feared communism at the time, they were not persuaded to give
Menzies the power to ban communist activities in Australia. Why do you think this was so?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Working
historically
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
Comprehension
1
Place these events in correct chronological order:
• Mr Petrov is granted political asylum.
• Mrs Petrov is forced onto a flight by Russian agents.
• Royal Commission report is discussed in federal parliament.
• Royal Commission commences.
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206
2
Using the information in ‘The Petrov Affair: the events’, outline the events from early
1954 to 14 October 1955.
3
How did the Petrov Affair help Menzies to stay in government?
4
In your own words, define ‘defector’ and ‘political asylum’.
5
What led to the formation of the DLP?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
6
Why would Evatt have believed that Menzies arranged the Petrov Affair?
7
Why did the ALP split and the DLP form?
Analysis and use of sources
1
Study source 5.19. What does it show? How would Menzies have used this scene for his
own political advantage?
2
Read source 5.20. What effect would the words ‘dragged’, ‘weeping and dazed’ and
‘pushed her up’ have on readers of this newspaper report?
3
The image of communist Russia in the 1950s was a country where there was no
democracy, people lived in fear and lives were controlled by the secret police. Does the
report in source 5.20 support or contradict this image? Explain your answer.
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
5.2 Why did Australians become involved in the
Vietnam War?
Working
historically
Comprehension
1
What countries make up Indochina?
2
Who was Ho Chi Minh?
3
When was the Battle of Dien Ben Phu and what was the result?
4
Who were the Viet Cong?
5
What happened between July and August 1964?
6
What was the ‘domino theory’?
7
Why did Australia become involved in the Vietnam War?
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212
Analysis and use of sources
1
How does source 5.29 help to explain the domino theory?
2
How does source 5.30 help to explain why Australia became involved in the Vietnam
War?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
Perspectives and interpretations
1
How was Menzies’ perspective of events in Vietnam similar to that of the American
government at the time?
2
In what ways is Evan Whitton’s interpretation of Australia’s involvement in Vietnam
(source 5.31) different from Menzies’ view?
Empathetic understanding
Why would many Australians at the time have supported Menzies’ attitude to involvement in the
Vietnam War?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
5.3 How did various groups respond to Australia’s
involvement in the Vietnam War?
Working
historically
PAGE
Comprehension
1
Who replaced Menzies as prime minister in 1966?
2
Who was LBJ?
3
What do you think was meant by ‘All the way with LBJ’?
4
How were national servicemen conscripted?
5
Which groups supported Australia’s involvement in Vietnam?
6
Which groups opposed the use of conscripted soldiers in Vietnam?
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112
Analysis and use of sources
1
What reasons are given in source 5.32 for Australian involvement in Vietnam?
2
Look at source 5.34 and answer these questions:
a Which figure represents LBJ?
b Who is in the pouch?
c What symbols are used to represent Australia and America?
d What is the cartoon’s message?
3
Look at source 5.35 and answer these questions:
a What was this source originally?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
b What was happening at the time this source was created?
c How does this source try to persuade the audience?
4
Look at source 5.36 and answer these questions:
a What was Save Our Sons?
b Why did people join Save Our Sons?
c What sort of activities did Save Our Sons engage in?
d What was the response of the authorities to the Save Our Sons campaigners?
5
Study source 5.37. How are people in this source responding to Australia’s involvement
in the Vietnam War?
6
Read source 5.38.
a What group published this flyer?
b What is the source asking people to do?
7
Read source 5.39.
a How were people selected for national service?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
b When was Wayne called up?
c What was Wayne’s response to being called up?
8
Read source 5.40.
a What is the ‘bitter’ part of being drafted to serve in Vietnam that the soldier is
referring to?
b What is the ‘sweet’ part?
Perspectives and interpretations
1
What perspectives are presented in sources 5.36, 5.38, 5.39 and 5.40?
2
How was Jean McLean’s perspective (source 5.36) of conscription different from that of
the Liberal government of the time?
Empathetic understanding
How do sources 5.39 and 5.40 help you to understand the feelings of conscripted men at
the time?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Working
historically
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Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
Comprehension
1
When did conscription for national service begin?
2
What could happen to a person who refused to register for national service?
3
Explain how conscription worked.
4
What was a ‘conscientious objector’?
5
What occurred on 8 May 1970?
Analysis and use of sources
1
What is shown in source 5.42?
2
How could source 5.43 be useful to historians investigating Australian attitudes to
involvement in the Vietnam War?
3
Explain the message in source 5.44.
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
5.4 What was the impact of the war on Australia and
neighbouring countries?
Working
historically
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221
Comprehension
1
Describe the treatment of Vietnam veterans when they returned to Australia.
2
Why was the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia formed?
3
What occurred on 3 October 1987?
4
What was ‘Agent Orange’?
Analysis and use of sources
1
What is source 5.46?
2
How does source 5.47 help your understanding of issues related to Vietnam veterans?
Perspectives and interpretations
Whose perspectives are presented in sources 5.48 and 5.49?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
Empathetic understanding
Explain the attitude of the Vietnam veterans expressed in sources 5.48 and 5.49.
Working
historically
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224
Comprehension
1
What led to people fleeing Vietnam and Cambodia?
2
How many Indochinese refugees landed in Thailand between 1975 and 1987?
3
When did the first ‘boat people’ arrive in Darwin?
4
What did the Geneva Conference on Indochinese Refugees decide in 1989?
Analysis and use of sources
1
What is shown in source 5.52?
2
How does source 5.53 assist our understanding of Indochinese refugees?
3
How useful is source 5.54 when investigating Indochinese refugees coming to Australia?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
4
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
What was the purpose of source 5.55?
Perspectives and interpretations
How does the perspective in source 5.55 differ from that held by people who believe Australia
should not accept refugees?
Working
historically
Comprehension
1
What led to a youth revolution in the 1960s?
2
Describe changes to fashions in the 1960s.
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226
Analysis and use of sources
How do sources 5.56–5.58 help an investigation of life in the 1960s in Australia?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Working
historically
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
Comprehension
1
In your own words, define ‘yellow peril’.
2
When and why did the first large numbers of Chinese people come to Australia?
3
What was the Colombo Plan?
4
When did Indonesia become independent from the Dutch?
5
What does ASEAN stand for?
6
What does APEC stand for?
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229
Analysis and use of sources
1
Look at source 5.60.
a When was it created and what was happening about this time?
b What is the message and purpose of this cartoon?
2
Explain the message in source 5.61.
3
Look at source 5.62. The figure in sunglasses represented the Indonesian president of
the time, Sukarno. What do you think is the message of this cartoon?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.
Australia in the 20th Century
Chapter 5
Australia and the Vietnam War era
Perspectives and interpretations
1
Read sources 5.64 and 5.65. What perspective is presented in each?
2
Source 5.64 was written nearly 30 years after source 5.65. Does source 5.64 indicate
there had been any change during that time?
Copyright © Mark Anderson and Paul Ashton 2004. Published by Macmillan Education Australia. Unauthorised copying prohibited.