The Cold War

What is Communism?

Communism is a classless society where nobody has individual wealth or property.

Why Doesn't Communism Work?

Communism doesn’t work because human beings are greedy creatures who want power, people may also start to slack off with working because whether they work or not, they will make the same amount of money as everyone else.

Why did America go to war with Vietnam?

America went to war with Vietnam to prevent a communist takeover of the region and to somewhat ‘scare’ Russia to prevent the Soviets from gaining any more power over South-East Asia.

Who was Menzies?

Menzies was an Australian prime minister who sent troops to Vietnam to strengthen ties with the United States and help stop the spread of communism further into Asia. His rationale was that communism must be stopped before it took over Australia and caused political unrest.

Petrov Affair

The Petrovs were spies acting as diplomats in Canberra. In April 1954, the Russian spies were arrested by the Federal police in Australia and taken into custody. There, they made a deal with authorities and passed information on to politicians regarding the activities of Russian spy rings in Western countries. With the Petrovs turning against Russia and siding with Australia, giving information about Soviet activities in Australia and elsewhere, including claims that a Soviet spy ring was operating in Australia. Other countries, like America, realised that Australia was quite strong and persuaded Australia to go to war in Vietnam with them. Australia also wanted to build stronger ties with America in order to prevent the domino effect from reaching Australia's shores.

Communist Party

Menzie's move to align himself with America was coupled with and attempt to ban the Communist party in Australia. During the Second World War, communism in this country was on the rise, with 20,000 people in Australia joining the party. The coalition's Communist Party Dissolution Act 1950 became law on 20 October 1950. It included three measure to deal with communism. These were:

  • that the party was declared to be an unlawful association and that all po=roperties of the party was forfeited without compensation.

  • the Governor-General was authorized to declare bodies (such as trade unions), communist affiliates. He could declare them unlawful bodies, satisfied that their existence was a threat to Australia's safety.

  • anyone who was proven to be in the party could be arrested.

Australia's Response to Communism in Asia

Australia joined the ANZUS treaty in 1951. This treaty recognised that if any Pacific Nation that was under threat needed help, the three countries would support each other. Australia signed the treaty, as at the time, they were a very small country and they felt threatened by the spread of communism throughout Asia, fearing that it would reach Australia. Due to Australia having a low population and small defense force, they needed help and therefore looked for support from a bigger nation - the USA. On March 2nd, March 1965, the first US ground troops arrived in Da Nang, with 3500 troops entering Vietnam. After World War II and the collapse of Vietnam's monarchy, France attempted to re-establish its colonial rule but was ultimately defeated in the First Indo-China War. The Geneva Accords in 1954 partitioned the country temporarily in two with a promise of democratic elections in 1956 to reunite the country, however, the North strongly opposed any intervention from the UN, who it distrusted. Eventually, duet o growing unrest in the country, Australia placed troops in the country from 1962 as a training squad to help support the southern Vietnamese fighters in case of skirmishes with the North . From 1965, Australia began to send combat troops and there were over 60,000 troops sent across the duration of the war,

In 1966, Harold Holt sent troops to Vietnam to set up bases near Saigon in the South. By 1967, there were nearly 6000 people living on these bases. They went to war to support the South Vietnamese government in order to stop the spread of communism. The war was fought from 1966 to 1972. America left in 1975.

America and Russia - Causes of the Cold War

During the Cold War, America (USA) and Russia (USSR) were the main players in a global rivalry. America believed in democracy and freedom, while Russia believed in communism and government control. They competed in a military arms race, fought proxy wars, and even raced to explore space. Their rivalry led to tense standoffs, like the Cuban Missile Crisis. Both countries also used culture to spread their ideas worldwide. The Cold War shaped world politics, economics, and culture for much of the 20th century.

Capitalism

Capitalism is an economic system where private individuals or businesses own and control resources like land, labor, and capital. In capitalism, goods and services are produced, priced, and distributed by the market to make a profit, with minimal government intervention.

Containment

During the Cold War, containment was America's strategy to prevent the spread of communism beyond its existing borders. It aimed to contain Soviet influence through measures like military alliances, economic aid, and military interventions in countries threatened by communism, such as Korea and Vietnam.

  • Indochina: The region made up of modern Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The name is drawn from 2 countries that had a significant cultural influence on these nations, India and China.

  • Indochinese Union: the form name given to the 5 French colonies in Indochina (Cochina, Annam, Tonkin, Cambodia and Laos).

  • Nationalism: putting the interests of one nation above all others

  • Australians fought as an ally of the southern Republic of Vietnam (RVN) and the US

  • Vietnam’s most successful nationalist and communist leader was Ho Chi Minh; he organised and led many different groups but the most important became the Vietnimh (1941)

  • Vietminh was part of North Vietnam

  • When Japan was defeated (August 1945), Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independent but France was determined to regain control over its former colonies

  • 1945-1946 France tried to negotiate with the Vietminh but failed to reach an agreement

  • Throughout 1946 several big confrontations between Vietminh and France took place leading the Vietminh to declare war o France to secure their independence

  • 1946-49 French forces had more powerful military technology (tanks, artillery, aircraft) so the Vietminh planned to fight a guerrilla war against France, they tried to stage hit-and-run attacks and use hideouts in the mountains to avoid detections.

  • Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare where small groups of combatants use ambushes, sabotage, and hit-and-run tactics to fight a larger and less mobile traditional military.

  • 1950-54 China and USSR began to support Vietminh, at the same time US supported France. WIth Chinese and Soviet support, the Vietminh had access to more powerful military technology (artillery) and attacked the French with more confidence

  • March 1954 the French forces suffered Major defeat at Dien Bien Phu, when surrendering the Vietminh took 15,000 French prisoners and France soon after left the country altogether. This left Vietnam open to political upheaval.

  • 1954 World leaders agreed to meet at Geneva, Switzerland to negotiate an end to the First Indochina War, there were major disagreements but in the end negotiations produced an agreement (called Geneva Accords) but it was unpopular and not all major powers promised to follow the terms

  • Geneva Accords produced in 1954 formally gave Cambodia and Laos independence

  • Vietnam was divided along the 17th parallel and separated into north and south by a demilitarised zone (DMZ)

  • Demilitarised zone (DMZ): an area set out in or near a war zone, designed to be free of conflict; often set up to maintain peace between 2 groups at risk of war

  • Diem strengthened his rule in South Vietnam and gained strong support from the US who wanted to prevent South Vietnam from being overtaken by the Vietminh.

  • In South Vietnam, groups loyal to the Vietminh began to attack the government

    • Diem called these anti-government forces the Vietcong (meaning Vietnamese communists)

    • Vietcong assassinated government officials attacked the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and took over villages

  • Diem struck back by attacking communists and people loyal to the Vietnimh in South Vietnam but his position became increasinigly fragile over time

  • To support South Vietnam the US sent military advisors to train the ARVN

    • 1960 there were 900 US military advisors

    • 1963 there wre over 16 000

  • US also started helping ARVN by providing helicopters to transport troops to fight Vietcong

  • China and USSR supporting the Vietnimh in North Vietnam

  • 1963 Diem extremely unpopular with South Nam, ARVN members overthrew Diem in a coup and was brutally murdered

    • South Nam under military rule → became more unstable

    • The unstableness of South Nam encouraged North Nam and Vietcong to increase attacks on South Nam gov hoping they could take and unite Vietnam before more Americans arrive

  • North Nam sent thousands of soldiers into the south, traveling over the DMZ or down the Ho Chi Minh Trail → escalate war

  • 1962-1972 about 50 000 Australians served in Vietnam

  • 519 died and many wounded

  • July 1962 Australia began its commitment to Vietnam War by sending 30 military advisors to South Vietnam to train them (The Australian Army Training Team - AATTV)

  • March 1965 President Johnson asked Aus to commit combat forces as part of his ‘more flags’ campaign aimed at getting more nations to contribute to the defense of South Nam

  • Australias alliances, specifically ANZUS and SEATO played an important role in the decision to become involved in Vietnam

  • 28 April 1965 Menzies announced that Australian troops would be sent to Vietnam to support US forces

  • Aus troops arrived in June 1965

  • January 1966 Harold Holt replaced Robert Menzies as Prime Minister

  • Australia's commitment to Vietnam also required nurses, doctors, administration staff and even entertainers

  • The conscripting of young men was called ‘National Service’ and all men had to register for military service when they turned 20, to be conscripted, a man’s birthday had to be drawn out of a barrel, if your birthday was drawn you had to serve for 2 years, 40% of Australian soldiers who fought in Vietnam were conscripts

Conscription and the Protest Movement

Conscription is when the government forces people to join the military. During the Cold War, many countries, including the US, had conscription. The government conscripted young men by pulling birthdates out of a hat, if yours was called you had to go fight in the war. If they refused to go to war, they would serve in jail indefinitely, these people were called pacifists and conscientious objectors, they had to go to court and prove that they couldn't find due to specific reasons, usually religious, moral, ethical or political reasons.

The protest movement against conscription was a response to people who disagreed with being forced to join the military. They believed it was unfair and protested against it, especially during the Vietnam War. There were three main stages of protest, starting with peaceful but ineffectual rallies in major capital cities. In 1965, Save Our Sons (SOS) was started by women who didn't want their sons sent to the war, and the protested by handing our flyers. In 1971, 5 of these women were arrested and spent 14 days in prison. The largest of the protests occurred in the moratorium marches of 1970 and 1971, both in Australia and the USA, where people marched for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Vietnam and an end to the National Service Scheme.

Propaganda

Propaganda, as in other wars, played a huge role in trying to frighten the public into believing that the 'domino theory' was in effect and that the world would soon be taken over by communists. In Australia, the saying soon became "All the Way with LBJ", a catch cry that showed our support and camaraderie with America, in the aim to boost the alliance and persuade people to go willingly into the war. The US dropped billions of anti-communist leaflets over Vietnam. But it could not fully control the western press, and their raw, powerful coverage of Vietnam is credited with swaying US public opinion on the conflict.

Tet Offensive - 1968

The Tet Offensive was a surprise attack by the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong (with North Vietnam) during the Vietnam War, it happened during Vietnamese New Year (called Tet). The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters attacked over 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam, including the capital, Saigon. It was a surprise attack as there was supposed to be a ceasefire in honour of the holiday. North Vietnam and the Vietcong lost the Tet Offensive battle but it was a turning point in the war, showing that North Vietnam was much stronger than many people thought and it made a lot of Americans back home question the war (young men were starting to question conscription in a war that was steadily looking like it would be unwinnable - north used sly tactics).

America/Russia Relations

The Cold War was a period of tension that started straight after WWII when the uneasy relationship between America and the USSR began to sour. The war was fought along economics, propaganda and political lines, but was limited when it came to weapons. The Americans were afraid of the threat that Stalinism and later communism posed to the newly established world order. The Soviets disliked America due to their late entry into the war, and the hero status they claimed afterwards (many Soviets died in the war fighting against the Nazis). The Americans were worried about Russia's eastward expansion and the growing 'threat' of communism to their capitalistic ways. The Russians were hostile towards America's strident, almost bullying manner when it came to international relations. Both countries were also wary of the fact that each was building new armaments, including nuclear weapons. Russia supported Vietnam and the North in their push to entrench communism, which caused further rivalries between the two countries.

Tensions between North and South Vietnam

In 1954, the colonising French left Vietnam. This left the country open to developing a new political system. The North was predominantly in favour of communism (an effect of what was called the 'domino theory'), while the south wanted to take a vote about how the country would be run. In order to prevent vote rigging, the south wanted the UN to oversee it, but the north was strongly opposed to this, due in part to Russia's influence and their overall distrust of the West. This caused tensions between the north and the south.