Australia And Vietnam War Essay

The movement against Australia and United States involvement in the Vietnam War began as a small anti-war movement mainly among students and peace activists. Over the duration of the Vietnam War the anti-war movement gained many followers and grew its numbers dramatically, creating a national prominence in both countries. Anti-war marches Moratoriums and other protests attracted a widening base of support over what is commonly known as America’s longest war. Australia’s involvement in Vietnam divided political and public opinions although given that the United States lost over 58,000 soldiers in Vietnam it is not surprising that the Vietnam War continues to provoke deeper social and political divisions in America than in Australia. Nonetheless the Vietnam War did cause more controversy in Australia than any other war and Australian veterans might …show more content…
The Moratorium campaigns gained rapid growth in Australia and the United States over the course of the Vietnam War. While there were some differences between the two countries anti-war protests there was many similarities as well, with Australia’s campaign greatly influenced by the happenings in the United States. Although during 1965 the vast majority of the American population still supported the administration policy in Vietnam, a small but outspoken minority had started making its voice heard, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) had started the anti-war movement on college campuses throughout America, and in the years to come would play a role in the 1969 Moratoriums. The First Moratorium took place in America on the 15th of October 1969, a month after President Nixon announced that a second round 35,000 US troops would be withdrawn from Vietnam and