Year 9 NSW » History » Australia in the Vietnam War era » Why did Australia become involved in the Vietnam War?

Topic : Why did Australia become involved in the Vietnam War?

In this topic you will learn...

Chapter 1 : Vietnam War: background

Chapter 2 : The American involvement

American involvement in Vietnam can be traced back to the first Indo-China War when it had given financial support to the French
The US saw Vietnam as a gateway into Asia for the spread of democracy or communism
South Vietnam had to be defended from the threat of communism so the US started sending advisors to aid the Diem government
They helped to equip and train the Republic of Vietnam's army (ARVN)
As the Viet Cong insurgencies increased so did the number of American advisors
The Gulf of Tonkin incident gave the US an excuse to begin offensives in North Vietnam and the conflict began to escalate
In March 1965, the first US Marines arrived and the bombing of North Vietnam began
America hoped to force the communists into a settlement but it only increased the resolve of the Viet Minh
By the end of the War 58 000 American soldiers had died

Chapter 3 : Why Australia entered the war

Chapter 4 : How Australia entered the war

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