Anti communism and the Vietnam War

Background - The Cold War

Union of Soviet Vs United States Socialist Republic of America (U.S.S.R) (U.S.A)

Communist State Democracy Vs Capitalist

Opposing concepts Working class Vs Capitalists (Proletariat) (Big Business)

How could the contrasting political systems of these countries lead to conflict?
Government control Private ownership No profits to individual Individual profit Benefit of all No competition Competition Revolutionary Elected by popular vote (Remove capitalist oppression) Single Party Many parties Little freedom Freedoms protected by Constitution (Bill of Rights) e.g. speech, worship; assembly

Important background details:

USSR and USA allies during WWII Fighting common enemy NAZI Germany USSR suffered enormous loss of life in war 20 000 000! Fought alone for 2 years without support Had been attacked in both wars by neighbour Germany (felt vulnerable to attack) Europe was ruined by the war USA virtually untouched, very wealthy Meeting between victors, including USA and USSR after war to work out the peace terms

COLD WAR TENSIONS

Both USA and USSR had become Super Powers with their differing political systems making them very suspicious of each other USSR wanted a buffer zone between itself and potentially hostile neighbours Created an Eastern Bloc of communist countries including: Poland; Hungary; Yugoslavia; Czechoslovakia; Rumania; Albania; Bulgaria and East Germany British PM Churchill called this bloc the Iron Curtain USA wanted to ensure DEMOCRACY was the dominant ideology (political belief) of European countries in post war

COLD WAR DEVELOPS

USA wanted to secure a market for its goods in Europe RESENTMENT and SUSPICION! US President, Truman met with USSR leader Stalin This meeting decided on the future relations between these two Super powers Truman decided that Stalin, like Hitler, wanted to dominate Europe Stalin was an oppressive leader The consequence was to become known as the COLD WAR tension between the EASTERN and WESTERN Blocs

ANTI - COMMUNISM
A pattern of MUTUAL SUSPICION, HOSTILE RHETORIC (e.g. Imperialistic dogs USSR and Red Menace USA), and MILITARY BUILD UP followed New nations like Vietnam were seeking independence from their colonial rulers. China became communist in 1949 USA and other WESTERN bloc countries believed this was evidence of a world wide communist revolution Communism was seen as a single movement with little difference between communism in China and USSR (although one was a European country and the other Asian!)

The COLD WAR was vague and confusing

The US government used a very successful propaganda campaign to convince the American people that they needed to be afraid of the communist threat as the vast majority of Americans were not concerned. Democracy and communism competed in new nations like Vietnam for control Truman promised to fight against communism wherever it was believed she could win It was identified that this Truman Doctrine would mean US would intervene wherever it was believed they could win and it would be expensive The Korean War was the first time the Cold War became heated.

PARANOIA & SUSPICION

Each side began stockpiling terrible weapons of mass destruction...and these were real! Fear of the spread of communism led to PARANOIA in USA and in Australia American citizens were accused of unAmerican behaviour in a series of Senate enquiries. This terrible period became known as McCarthyism, because it was led by an obsessed anti-communist Senator Eugene McCarthy. Have you seen Good Night and Good Luck?

REDS UNDER THE BEDS

The FBI was created to protect America against subversives those who would act against/ undermine the American way of life, at home. Great suspicion of trade unions, intellectuals and the entertainment industry which were believed to be breeding grounds for anticapitalist revolutionaries who sought to overthrow the American capitalist system The loss of civil rights of Americans accused of communist connections was likened to the Salem witch hunts by American playwrite Arthur Miller in The Crucible. In our region this fear of the spread of communism became known as the Domino Theory, if one nation fell it was believed its neighbours would inevitably fall like a row of dominoes. Australia fought with United Nations forces in the Korean War against North Korea and her ally China to protect democratic South Korea against the threat of a communist invasion. (perhaps you have seen M.A.S.H., it was set in the Korean War)

AUSRALIAS RESPONSE
We needed to ensure we had a powerful ally in 1951 signed ANZUS Treaty, a mutual guarantee between the member nations primarily against communism In 1954 Australia signed S.E.A.T.O (South East Asian Treaty Organisation) Pact, promising to initiate collective action against internal or external subversion. Members: Australia; France; Great Britain; New Zealand; Pakistan; The Philippines; Thailand and the United States. These agreements gave Australia a sense of securitybut it was to mean that we were to become committed to a very bitter and controversial war in Vietnam by 1964.