Our Vietnam War is a documentary film (which is divided into three parts) which premiered on Australian television (ABC) in 2023.
Here is some basic information about this film:
** Director: Benjamin Jones
** Narrator: Kate Mulvany
** Run time: 3 x 60 minutes = 180 minutes
Here are the headlines of the three episodes:
# 1. A Popular War
# 2. All the Way
# 3. The Long Shadow
Australia was involved in the Vietnam War for more than ten years (1962-1973). At first, only with military advisors, but before long, also with regular troops.
A total of 60,000 Australian troops served in Vietnam. More than 500 soldiers lost their lives.
A much higher number of soldiers suffered physical and mental injuries.
The first two episodes cover the Australian involvement in the war, while the third episode covers the time after the war was over.
The Vietnam War had a huge impact on Australian society and cast a long shadow on the lives of the soldiers who served in this war.
This film covers the history of Australia and the Vietnam War in great detail. All sides are heard:
** Australian politicians get a chance to explain why Australia decided to send troops to Vietnam to support the American war in this country
** Veterans of the war get a chance to talk about their experiences in Vietnam and to explain how they look at this conflict.
** Members of the anti-war moment get a chance to explain why they were opposed to this war.
Why did Australia decide to support the US in the Vietnam War?
Here is the answer:
Robert Menzies, Australian prime minister 1949-1966, was on the right wing of the political spectrum; he was an anti-communist; he believed the domino-theory was real; and he was eager to please the government of the US.
In 1962, he decided that Australia should send military advisors to Vietnam. In 1964, he decided that Australia should send regular troops to Vietnam.
The government of New Zealand made a similar decision, but the involvement of New Zealand was on a smaller scale than the Australian involvement.
Why did the US decide to enter the conflict in Vietnam? At first, the US had refused to get involved, but later, the US changed its mind.
During World War II, France was defeated by Nazi Germany. During the war, France was cut off from the overseas colonies.
In 1945, when the war was over, the French returned to South East Asia. They wanted to resume their colonial policy. They wanted to continue where they had left off before the war began. But this was not possible.
During the war, the Vietnamese had seen the white man defeated. The colonial master (France) had been defeated. When the French returned to Vietnam, the local people refused to return to the ways of the past.
They refused to obey orders from the French. They wanted independence. Nothing less than that.
Negotiations began, but the French negotiators were not serious. They were not honest. They were not negotiating in good faith. They were just stalling to win more time.
In 1946, negotiations broke down when the Vietnamese realised that the French negotiators were neither serious nor honest.
The political conflict became an armed struggle. This moment was the beginning of the First Indochina War (1946-1954).
In 1946, France was in no position wage war in a foreign country far from Europe. The French contacted the US asking for help. President Truman told them:
“You are just trying to rebuild your colonial empire. We are not going to help you with such a project.”
The French had to continue on their own.
Four years later, in 1950, the French were in deep trouble. They contacted the US again. But this time, they tried to use another approach. They said:
“We are fighting against communism! Please help us fight for freedom!”
The new approach worked well. This time, President Truman said yes, even though the conflict in Vietnam was the same as it had been in 1946. Perhaps the outbreak of the Korean War was a factor which made him change his mind?
From 1950, the US began to offer economic support to France. By 1954, the US was paying 80 percent of the French war against the Vietnamese.
But even this was not enough. In 1954, a large French army was defeated at Dien Bien Phu in the northwest corner of Vietnam.
The French realised that they had lost not only a battle but the whole war. They packed their bags and returned to France.
In this moment, the Americans decided to step in and take the role of France.
The French tried to warn the Americans. They said: the Vietnamese are tough. But the Americans did not care. They brushed this warning aside. They were sure they could succeed where France had failed.
The moment when the Americans decided to take the role of France was the beginning of the Second Indochina War (1954-1975).
In 1954, Vietnam was divided into two states. North Vietnam was given to the Vietnamese resistance, while South Vietnam was established by the French who were leaving and by the Americans who were coming in.
South Vietnam was a puppet state whose leadership was based on a Catholic minority who was happy to rule over the Buddhist majority.
South Vietnam was controlled and dominated by the Americans who chose the leaders and supported them as long as they were regarded as useful. When they were no longer regarded as useful, they were discarded.
The obvious example is Ngo Dinh Diem who was the president of South Vietnam for several years. In 1963, when he was no longer regarded as useful, he was not only removed but captured and killed in a coup which was backed by the CIA.
The Americans wanted other countries to support the operation in Vietnam. They wanted the world to believe the western world was fighting for freedom and democracy in Vietnam.
This is why the Americans invited Australia, New Zealand, and other countries such as South Korea to join the war on the American side.
In the beginning, in 1962, the war was quite popular among the Australian population.
When the Australian government presented the case to the people, most people believed what they were told.
But not everybody accepted the official version presented by the government. In fact, there was opposition from the very beginning in 1962. But it was very limited.
Four years later, in 1966, opposition to the war was increasing, but it was still quite limited. In that year, Australia held a national election.
The Australian Labor Party was opposed to Australia’s participation in the Vietnam War. When the ALP tried to campaign on an anti-war platform, they lost.
The Labor Party was defeated by right-wing politicians who supported Australia’s involvement in the war.
Four years later, around 1970, the situation had changed. By this time, the anti-war movement was larger than before, and the voices of the protesters could no longer be ignored.
In addition, the war in Vietnam was not going well. Even the American government was looking for a way to end the war.
When US President Richard Nixon began to withdraw American forces, Australia did the same thing. From 1973, when foreign troops had been withdrawn, South Vietnam had to fend for itself.
The South Vietnamese army did not last long when it was on its own. In 1975, the South was defeated by the North. In the following year, the two Vietnamese states were officially united into one country, the Republic of Vietnam.
The history of the Vietnam War has often been told from an American perspective.
In this film, you have a chance to view the history of this conflict from another perspective.
This film shows how the war was viewed in Australia. It shows what kind of impact the Vietnam War had on Australian society.
If you are interested in the history of the modern world - in particular the history of the Cold War - this film is definitely something for you.
It is highly recommended.
REFERENCES
Vietnam
This historical drama about Australia and the Vietnam War premiered on Australian television (Network Ten) in 1987. Here is some basic information about it:
** It is a miniseries with 10 episodes
** The directors are Chris Noonan and John Duigan
** The leading actors are Barry Otto, Nicholas Eadie, and Nicole Kidman
** It is available on YouTube
Vietnam: The Australian War
By Paul Ham
(2007)
Australia and the Vietnam War
By Peter Edwards
(2014)
The War In Vietnam:
Its Impact on Australia
By Scott Brodie
(2015)
*****
Vietnam:
The Australian War
By Paul Ham
(2007)
*****
Australia and the Vietnam War
By Peter Edwards
(2014)
*****
The War in Vietnam:
Its Impact on Australia
By Scott Brodie
(2015)
*****
No comments:
Post a Comment