Australia's military involvement in the Vietnam War was the longest in duration of any war in Australia's history. The arrival of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) in South Vietnam during July and August 1962 was the beginning of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. Australia's participation in the war was formally declared at an end when the Governor-General issued a proclamation on 11 January 1973. The only combat troops remaining in Vietnam were a platoon guarding the Australian embassy in Saigon, which was withdrawn in June 1973. The Australian commitment consisted predominantly of army personnel, but significant numbers of air force and navy personnel and some civilians also took part.

1. AUSTRALIA’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE
VIETNAM WAR
By: Hasan Mohammed, Koshin Jama,
Abdullah Arab and Ahmad Abdullah
Right:
Australian
Soldiers
aiding the
injured.

2. INTRODUCTION
 The Vietnam war (1959-75) was a
successful attempt by the communist
North to impose a system of
communism upon the entire nation. It
occurred during the cold war and
began when Ho Chi Minh launched a
guerrilla campaign, led by the
Vietcong.
 Nations such as the United States
unsuccessfully sought to halt the
spread of communism military
intervention.
 Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam
war (1962-75), was the longest
duration in its military history.
Left: M60 Machine Gunners (Top) and Australian
ground tropes (bottom)

3. THE WESTERN AND EASTERN BLOCS
 Initially, nations where divided into
two distinctive groups: the Eastern
Bloc and the Western Bloc.
 The Eastern Bloc referred to the
communist countries including the
Soviet Union and its allies, and the
Western Bloc consisted of the
capitalist nations including the United
States and its allies.
 Australia, being part of the Western
Bloc, was one of the nations that
contributed to the Vietnam War in
1955
Right: Map of Eastern
Bloc

4. June 1965
July-August
1962
Mid-1968 1969 1970
Arrival of Australian
Army Training Team
Vietnam (AATTV) in
South Vietnam was
the beginning of
Australia's
involvement in the
Vietnam War.
1975
MAJOR EVENTS IN AUSTRALIAN INVOLVEMENT
The Australian
government dispatched
the 1st Battalion, Royal
Australian Regiment to
serve alongside the US
Airborne Brigade in Bien
Hoa province.
Major offensive by the Viet
Cong and North
Vietnamese Army,
launched during the
Vietnamese lunar new
year holiday period,
known as "Tet”.
Anti-war protests
were gaining
recognition in
Australia
Australia had begun
to tone down its
military effort in
Vietnam.
The end of
the Vietnam
war.

5. REASONS FOR INVOLVEMENT
 One of the central reasons
influencing Australia’s involvement in
the Vietnam War was the domino
theory (as already mentioned).
 Australia feared that it would
eventually fall underneath
communist power and hence, it
became vital for the Australian
Government to enforce its ‘forward
defence’ policy and prevent further
communist expansion. For example,
On the 28th of April 1965, the prime
minister of Australia, Robert
Menzies, announced that troops
were to be sent to fight in Vietnam.
Top: Sun Newspaper
headline

6. VISUALISING THE DOMINO THEORY
Note: Here, the domino theory refers to if
a region is under communism then other
regions around it will follow.

7. REASONS (2)
 Another central reason for
Australia’s involvement in the
Vietnam War revolved around the
concept of aligning itself with
superpowers.
 For example, Australia joined the
South-East Asia Treaty
Organisation (SEATO) was the
basis to Australia’s contribution to
the Vietnam War. One of the main
aspects of the SEATO and ANZUS
treaty was that South Vietnam was
guaranteed protection if it was
under communist threat.
Top: Official
SEATO logo.

8. WHERE IN VIETNAM?
 Australians were fighting in
several locations during the
war:
 Long Tran was the site of D
company’s revolt against
enemy forces near a rubber
plantation.
 Binh Ba is a village where
combined communist forces
fought Australians
 Phouc Tuy Province
 Bien Hoa City (deployment of
Australian platoons)
Top: Map of
Vietnam combat
zone

9. SOLDIER’S EXPERIENCES
 This was a jungle war. Soldier’s had to
battle the harsh terrain as well as
snakes, leaches, mosquitoes, etc.
 They fought in tropical rains, mud ad
extreme heat. Chemical weapons were
a frequent battle, they had to endure
‘red rain’ (Agent orange) and Agent
White.
 In addition, booby traps were rampant
and soldiers had to fight under the fear
of snipers.
 Morphine addiction was common as
medics had terrible conditions to work
and soldiers were severely wounded. Top: Retreating
US and
Australian
troops.

10. BATTLE OF LONG TAN
 On 18th August 1966, a downpour of torrential
rain coincided with the Australians
surrounded, short of supplies and
ammunitions.
 D company faced some 2,500 Vietcong
combatants the Australians returned fire with
platoon weapons and artillery which was firing
from the Nui Dat base, some five kilometres
to the west.
 After almost three hours of intense fighting by
D Company, reinforcements from A Company
arrived in armoured personnel carriers (APC).
Ammunition was distributed and the wounded
were tended. B Company also arrived and
engaged the Viet Cong.. The extra fire-power
finally stopped the Viet Cong, and all firing
ceased.
 There were 18 Australians killed - 17 from D
Company and one from the 1st Armoured
Personnel Carrier Squadron - and 21
wounded.
Top: Outline of
the Battle of
Long Tran

11. CONSCRIPTION ISSUES
 Conscription was based on the
“birthday ballot system”( a ballot
centred on the date of a man's 20th
birthday).
 The compulsory military service was
for a period of 2 years for (most of the
time conscription was in effect) but was
later dropped to 18 months when it
was being phased out.
 The SOS (Save Our Sons Movement
(1965 - 1973)) was established to
protest conscription. In 1970, five of its
members were arrested for distributing
anti-war leaflets.
Right: SOS
protestors

12. PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON SOLDIERS
 There were no open fronts in the Vietnam
war for soldiers to be treated. Vietnam had
an immense psychological impact on the
troops, with many suffering post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD)
 The selective nature of the National
Service Program meant that soldiers
suffered depression and often turned to
drug abuse or alcoholism. This coupled
with a lack of a ‘welcome home’ from the
public upon their return made many
veterans feel their service to the nation
went unnoticed and unrecognised.
Top: Foot
gunners resting

13. PROTESTING AUSTRALIA’S INVOLVEMENT
Across:
Several
propagan
da
sheets.

14. OUTCOMES OF AUSTRALIA’S INVOLVEMENT
 From the time of the arrival of
the first battalion in 1962:
 Nearly 60,000 Australians
(includes navy personnel, air
force men and ground
soldiers)
 Around 520 died due to combat
while 3,000 suffered injury
 Many protesters were jailed
and objectors were persecuted
with opposition.
Top: Troop
resuscitating

15. CONCLUSION
Australia’s Involvement in Vietnam
War (1962-75)
Right: John
Lennon and
Yoko Ono

16. AUDIENCE ACTIVITY

17. SOLUTIONS:
 1. Hamburger
 2. Tet
 3. America
 4. Ho Chi Minh
 5.Homecoming
 6. Saigon
 7. Viet Cong
 8. Anti War
 9. Dien Bien Phu

18. INFO-REFERENCES:
Primary Sources
 State Department White Paper On Vietnam
February 27, 1965
 Testimony to the Australian Senate on Foreign Relations
April 23, 1971
 Australian War Memorial Vietnam Archives
Secondary Sources (Web)
 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/reflect/ehrhart.html (15/08/13)
 http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/vietnam.asp (15/08/13)
 http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/battle-of-long-tan
(17/08/13)
 http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/tp/vietnam101.htm
(16/08/13)
 http://historywarsweapons.com/battle-of-long-tan/ (20/08/13)
 http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100406193528AA
k8ZOE (19/08/13)

19. PICTURE-REFERENCES:
 http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/EKN/67/0130/VN (Helicopters land to take members of 7RAR back to Nui Dat after
completion of Operation Ulmarra, August 1967. AWM)
 http://www.rmwebed.com.au/web_resources/y10history/vietnam_war/troops-to-vietnam.jpg (Menzies Newspaper
Heading)
 http://www.vwam.com/vets/allies/images/australians-vietnam.jpg (The First Deployment of Australian Ground
Forces)
 http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/vietnam-map.gif (Map of Vietnam War Sites)
 http://sydwalker.info/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Australia_WW1_amti-conscription_poster.jpg (Anti-
Conscription flier)
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Battle_of_Long_Tan_18_August_1966.png/281px-
Battle_of_Long_Tan_18_August_1966.png (Map of Battle of Long Tran)
 http://www.rmwebed.com.au/web_resources/y10history/vietnam_war/sos.jpg (Save our Sons Protestors)
 http://thecoldwaryearsmejias.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/7/7/13773934/9422115_orig.jpg (SEATO logo)
 http://www.anothersource.org/photos/vietnam-war-survivors-guilt-story.jpg (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
 http://apmodels.wikispaces.com/file/view/domino_theory.png/133455449/562x154/domino_theory.png (Domino
Theory Visual)
 https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSebYG9sbn_8LoMVrM-
Obn23o3tF_wz_0aAEhHcqGfu721rYpeDuw (Robert Menzies Wanted Poster)
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/EasternBloc_BorderChange38-48.svg/267px-
EasternBloc_BorderChange38-48.svg.png (Eastern Bloc Map)
 https://bay172.mail.live.com/att/GetAttachment.aspx?tnail=0&messageId=c0363c49-097e-11e3-9175-
00215ad96bc4&Aux=2154|0|8D06BA2A963BD80||0|1|0|0|2|3,11,53&cid=1aa0bfba09466e5a&maxwidth=220&ma
xheight=160&size=Att&blob=MXxsZW5ub24td2FyMS5qcGd8aW1hZ2UvanBlZw_3d_3d (John Lennon)