Asia and Australia engagement with Asia

There is a history of contact of Asia and Australia engagement with Asia in the pass. Such history would be the Vietnam War in 1955-1975. Australia’s involvement with the war was to support South Vietnam to stop the spread of communism in Asia (Australia and the Vietnam War, 2013). As the spread of communism was noticed within Vietnam other countries such as China, United States, and North and South Korea were involved to either support or were against the communism that was spreading (vietnamwar, 2013).  

During the war Vietnam was split into two countries, South Vietnam known as the Viet Cong ruled by Ngo Dinh Diem, and North Vietnam known as the Viet Ming lead by Ho Chi Minh (wikis, 2007). The map below shows where the country was split and some major events during the war.

Vietnam itself was at war with each other about finally being a independent nation after the distraction of World War two where Vietnam was originally govern by the French (Australia and the Vietnam War, 2013).  Some Vietnamese today still remember the conflict that happened in the Vietnam War, my mother, Lily Wong, for instant left Vietnam in 1977, two years after the war was finished as the conditions there was very bad for her huge family to live in. 

During the war Australia was official involved in 1962-1973, it is longest major conflict know today that Australia was involved in (Australia and the Vietnam War, 2013).  In the early years of Australia’s involvement in the war there were no widely opposed of the involvement, however as the commitment grew people started to oppose. The images below are some anti-war image in 1969 (Migration Heritage, 2010).

 

In Melbourne, Australia in 1971 near the parliament house there was a war protest against sending our soldiers to the war for so long. 

 The Vietnam War is taught about in History class as it is consider an important event in Australia and Asia history. However lessons taught on the Vietnam War most of the information are from secondary sources which were created from primary or historical documents. This part of Australia and Asia history is one of many events that is important for future and current generation to learn that the current nations now had a hard and complicated history.

Reference List:

 Australia and the Vietnam War. (2013). The Vietnam War: Background. Retrieved 6 June 2013 from http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/vietnam-war/background.php

Australia and the Vietnam War. (2013). The Vietnam War: Overview. Retrieved 6 June 2013 from http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/vietnam-war/index.php

austvarchive. (2010). Vietnam War Protest - Melbourne, Australia 1971. Retrieved 6 June 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thm03IUiJ6U

Migration Heritage. (2010). 1965 Anti Vietnam War Pendant. Retrieved 6 June 2013 from http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibition/objectsthroughtime/1965-anti-vietnam-war-pendant/

vietnamwar. (2013). What countries invovled in the Vietnam War? Retrieved 6 June 2013 from http://thevietnamwar.info/what-countries-involved-in-the-vietnam-war/

wikis. (2007). Vietnam War (1959-1975). Retrieved 6 June 2013 from https://wikis.nyu.edu/ek6/modernamerica/index.php/Imperialism/ColdWarContainment