1. Alliance with the US
1.1. 'Paper Allies'
1.2. Life insurance
1.3. Protection against future battles
1.4. Aus. foreign policy rested on the US
1.5. 'Aus. will go all the war with LBJ' (Menzies)
1.5.1. LBJ = American President
1.6. Aus. encouraged US military commitment
1.7. 'Development of a mutual alliance' - Michael Sexton
1.7.1. Development of habitual closeness of relations
2. Fear of Communism
2.1. Links with the Domino Theory
2.2. Fear ignited by PM Robert Menzies
2.3. Threat to democratic societies
2.3.1. Communism vs Capitalism
2.4. Historic and cultural views of Asia influenced fear of communism
2.4.1. Growing number of Chinese immigrants
2.4.2. decline in European imperial power
3. Influences
3.1. P.M Robert Menzies
3.1.1. Liberal Party
3.1.2. Bill to ban communism
3.1.2.1. CPA Party - Referendum
3.1.3. Encouraged Aus. Participation
3.1.4. Encouraged US and AUS alliance
3.1.4.1. 'They are our great and powerful friends'
3.1.5. Menzies planned a cabled announcement to ask for Aus. Military support to protect himself from media dispute and unrest
3.2. ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation)
3.2.1. Protected Aus from espionage
3.2.1.1. Petrov Affair
3.2.2. their involvement highlighted the severity of the Cold War
4. UN Involvement
4.1. Australia was considered a founding member of the UN
4.2. Est. 1945
4.3. Aimed to prevent war and to ensure freedom and wellbeing for all people
5. Aus. Foreign Policy
5.1. ANZUS Treaty
5.1.1. AUS, NZ, USA
5.1.2. Military Alliance
5.1.3. Directly against the threat of China's communism
5.2. SEATO Alliance
5.2.1. USA, Britain, France, Philippines, Aus, NZ, Pakistan, Thailand
5.2.2. Cold War Pact
6. Forward Defence
6.1. Containment of communism
6.2. Proximity to South-East Asia was feared
6.2.1. Jeopardises national security
6.3. Aus. would willingly commit troops to overseas battle to counter potential threats in the future
6.3.1. eg. of forward defence include
6.3.1.1. The Vietnam War in support of the USA
6.3.1.2. The Malayan Emergency in support of Britain
6.3.1.3. The Korean War as a UN force (supporting Britain and the USA)
6.4. 'the nature and scale of attack on Australia would become intensified as distance shortened' - Sir Philip Bride - Aus. defence minister
6.5. Communist aggression is not the concern of any one country but of all free countries.' - SMH editorial 1965
7. Domino Theory
7.1. The fear that if one country (esp. south-east asia) fell to communism, then others would follow
7.1.1. This concept emerged from the USA after China became a communist force in 1949
8. Background Info
8.1. Initially part of the French Empire in the 1860's
8.2. Vietnamese Nationalist group, Viet Minh was formed
8.2.1. A 'communist resistance group'
8.2.2. Lead by Ho Chi Minh
8.2.3. Formed an independant government
8.3. Allied powers called to restore the french rule
8.3.1. Seen as betrayal due to Viet Minh's support previously
8.4. 1952 - Viet Minh - control of North, French control of south
8.4.1. Regions remained in conflict
9. Propaganda
9.1. Influenced the public perception of the war in relation to the threat of communism
9.2. Statements, cartoons
10. Indonesian Confrontation
10.1. Undeclared war in Malaysia
10.2. Created a possible indonesian threat to Australia.
10.3. Indonesia were in support of the communist party
10.3.1. required increased US military presence
10.3.1.1. Australia encouraged this
10.3.1.2. US extended role of support gave Aus reason to send more troops to Vietnam