Revision/recap: week 3

A) Military historians Jeffrey Grey and Jeff Doyle, 1992

Just as the Australian experience in Vietnam was not identical to the American experience, so too the two nations’ paths were also different...Even if the United States had not existed, the Australian Government would have been deeply concerned over the perceived threat from communism in Southeast Asia

Is the statement above from Grey and Doyle true or false?

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Doyle and Grey posit that Australia's path to Vietnam was very different to Americas. Both country's entered the war for fear of the spread of communism but from different areas.

Furthermore, these historians basically say that to suggest Australia entered Vietnam just to appease America is ridiculous.

B Historians David Lee and Moreen Dee, 2001

David Lee and Moreen Dee had the following perspectives about Australia's involvement in Vietnam ...(choose the three correct answers)

• Australia perhaps didn't understand that the conflict in Vietnam was a civil issue with deep roots as opposed to justa. fight about communism.

• Australia saw the conflict in Vietnam as an extension of the Cold War

• Australia was confident they would be successful in Vietnam

• Australia encouraged the Americans involvement in SE Asia as it provided extra security for Australia as well as helping to strengthen the US-Australian relationship

Answer explanation

These historians summarised by stating, 'in retrospect it is clear enough that Australian policy reflected a greater emphasis on the threat posed by a supposedly monolithic communism than on the particular social and political history of Indochina'.

In other words, Australia misjudged what the fighting in Vietnam was about. It wasn't just about Communism at all.

C Military historian Peter Edwards

Many assumed that Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War had been at the instigation of, and under pressure from, the United States. The idea that Australia had been pressing to become involved, that it had been ‘looking for a way in and not a way out’ as Menzies put it in April 1965, took some time to be recognised ... With the benefit of half a century’s hindsight, some of the old arguments take on different nuances. Vietnam was not an example of fighting ‘other people’s wars’; in the minds of Menzies and his principal advisers, it was a matter

of getting the United States to fight a war for Australia’s security. Paying a premium for Australia’s strategic insurance with the United States was not of itself wrong, but should have been handled with a great deal more care.

On what opinion/perspective do sources C and B corroborate?

• Menzies was very firm on wanting to bring Australia into the conflict in Vietnam as a strategy of forward defence

• Australia was pulled into the war by the US and did so to ensure they had security from the threat of Communism

• Australia/Menzies used its relationship with the US to provide security from South East Asia to defeat Communism

• Australia had no business fighting in Vietnam

Answer explanation

Sources B and C corroborate each other is a number of ways. We will discuss this as a class.

Do these sources agree with the following assertion: Australia’s involvement in Vietnam was based on national self-interest?

• None of the sources support this perspective

• Yes, all three agree with the statement

• Two historians agree with this perspectives

• Only one historian supports this perspective

Before studying Modern History, it is assumed students have studied the Australian Curriculum: 7–10 History. Through this prior learning it is assumed students understand and can apply historical concepts, including... (identify as many as you can)

Answer explanation

evidence

continuity and change

cause and effect

significance

perspectives

empathy

contestability

Which of the below responses could be cue words in an evaluate style question on the EA?

Reminder: every single evaluate question from past exams has used 'evaluate the extent to which...' meaning, how much is this statement valid/correct/right

• Justify

• contrast

• appraise

• comment

• decide

Answer explanation

contrast is a cue used in the analytical process