Question: Australian Supporters and Opponents for the Vietnam War?


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Answer #1:

we should not have been there the Problem was Australia at the Time Wanted Nuclear Weapons and the Government at the Time believed that if we support the Americans they would Give us Nuclear weapons that is why we Purchased the F111

the RSL i am a member has never supported War but will always support our troops

we Regular Servicemen had little choice we went or left the Service and the Conscripts had No choice

the war was bad enough but when we came Home and were spat on and called baby killers that was WRONG

Answer #2:

I have to agree with "Gun Plumber".

The RSL throughout Australia in the 1950's through to the late 1980's had a strong right-wing, pro- Liberal Party bias whether we wish to acknowledge it or not. Bruce Ruxston, the Victorian President was probably the most outspoken in favour of the war.

The Soldiers had no choice. They either served or attempted to leave the Armed Forces as quickly as possible. Although people were telling the soldiers and the conscripts of the "Nuremberg Rules", few disobeyed orders.

*** (there are several "start dates" used by historians -- 1054, 1956, Dec 1959, mid 1960 and Feb 1961 which is the date the US military used as the "First US serviceman killed in Vietnam" when actually seven others had been killed between 1957 and 1961).***
At the start of the war in 1954 most Australians knew nothing of Vietnam and the few that did supported the war because the President of the (illegally created under international law and the "1954 Geneva Agreements on Indochina") Republic of South Vietnam was a Roman Catholic and was anti-communist.

Even when the first Australians were sent to Vietnam in 1962 (the Australian Army Advisory Team, Vietnam [AAATV]), few Australians still knew very little about Vietnam and were still supportive.

There had been a small Peace Movement in Australia consisting mostly of the "Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament" (CND) and a few others even as early as 1954 but they did not start to grow until post 1962. When the larger contribution of men occurred in 1965 including the "National Service" (Conscription) started on January 1, 1965 then there was a quicker growth. By 1966 it was much more and the women's group, "Save Our Sons" (SOS) started and became very active. Even the National leadership of the Australian Labor Party did not change its policies to being anti-Vietnam War until 1967 although many members were active in the various Peace Movements for a lot longer.

Why did people appose the war? There are several reasons.
a) It was illegal under international law and the "1954 Geneva Agreements on Indochina".
b) We were supporting an illegal government that was also a military dictatorship and undemocratic.
c) Legally Vietnam was One country, not two and it should have been reunited in 1956 under the terms of the "1954 Geneva Agreements".
d) Australian "boys" were being sent to fight and die in an unwanted war, and many of them were "conscripts".
e) The media, especially TV, was bringing pictures of the war into the living rooms of people much quicker than other wars and in far more graphic detail. This turned a lot of people against the war.





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