Example research essay topic: South East Asia World War Ii - 1,108 words

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The Vietnam War had great political impact and led to deep division within Australian society. The Australian people were forced to take the issues about the Cold War, Vietnam and the arms race seriously because of Australias military involvement in Vietnam from 1962 to 1972. As a result, our fear of communism and of Asia increased dramatically. Australia, occupying a large mass of land, yet having a small population had always lived in the belief that they were threatened some way by the foreign powers and this led to the formation of The White Australia Policy, which was set up in 1901.

This policy clearly reflects the enormous fear of threats from the Asian countries. Another major belief Australia had was that it could never adequately defend itself but had to look for support from other countries such as The Great Britain and the United States, which the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies called Our Great & Powerful Friends. During the World War II when the war broke out in 1939, Australia still saw itself as an important part of the British Empire and immediately declared its support for Britain. On the other hand, there was always the understanding throughout Australia that if the time ever came when Australia needed military support, Britain would come to the nations aid. In 1940, the British Government had doubts that Japan would advance into South-East Asia but when it happened, Britain then expressed doubts that Japan would mount an invasion of Australia. With the fall of Singapore in 1942, Britains assumptions proven wrong, Australia was automatically threatened by Japan and Britain was not able to come to Australias aid because they were heavily occupied struggling with the German Nazis and this meant that Middle East was its major priority, rather than Australia which the Japanese forces were intruding into.

These had the effect of Australia feeling vulnerable and lonely, and all the traditional beliefs of the mother country, Britain, coming to Australias aid in time of need vanished and with the reaction of Britain towards Australia, Australian Government had to accept the fact that they were only expendable part of the British Empire. Australia, led by the Curtin Government at the time, at last realized the limits of British powers, yet desperate in need of allies and protectors, looked up to the United States as the only support to assist Australia. This realization made a great impact in the changes of the relationships between Britain and Australia. United States did come to rescue Australia in 1942 but the motive was for its self interest because Australia was the best place from which the Americans could apply its counter offenses against the Japanese, and when General MacArthur arrived in Australia he was greatly welcomed by the Australia government, seeing as they didnt have much choice other than follow US military strategies due to the fall of British power. This World War II played a major role in Australias beginning relationships with the United States and United States took over Britains place of being Australias great and powerful protector.

United States also took away the Australian loyalties from Britain and this change of loyalty was a large influence to Australias involvement with the Korea and the Vietnam War. Communism, responsible for the wars that occurred in Asia, was one of the major threats to Australia. There was a belief in the 1950 s and 1960 s, particularly in the United States and in Australia that if communism was not stopped then it would spread throughout the rest of South-East Asia. This popular belief was known as the Domino Theory, meaning that if one Asian country fell to communism, then the rest of Asia would soon follow, just like the falling dominoes.

This theory did indeed influence Australia heavily in its involvement in South-East Asia and Vietnam War. Australias relationship with the United States strengthened during the Korean War and many Australians believed that it was in Australias interest to maintain the close relationship with the Americans. When the Korean War began, Australia quickly declared its support for US and organized the military troops. As a result, this led to the formation of the ANZUS treaty which was set up in September 1951, representing the relationship of Australia, New Zealand and the United States The communist threat in Malaya began in 1950 and Britain & Australia had sent increasing number of troops to Malaya to oppose the communists.

In 1955, the Menzies government sent Australian ground troops as well as naval and air power to assist the British in Malaya and this was a good example of the concept of forward defence. While Britain and Australia was occupied with the defence against the communists, French were failing to hold their colony and were defeated by the Indochinese communists led by Ho Chi Minh. Due to these actions, United States formalized South-East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) in September 1954, to oppose the communists in South-East Asia, members including US, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, France, Thailand, Pakistan and the Philippines. SEATO was an excellent organization to fit the idea of forward defence and to be served in the Cold War, but it became inactive and was disbanded in 1977.

Consequently, the Australian government currently led by Menzies, saw any communist victory in South Vietnam a threat to Australia and this determined the Menzies government to encourage the United States to be involved in Asia, especially in Vietnam and Australia showed its loyalty and faith by also sending troops to help with the forward defence in South-East Asia. In the early 1960 s, military training team was sent to Vietnam War and 514 Australian men were lost including 2 nurses, and leaving 2873 wounded & injured. The weapons used in this battle included rifles, semi-automatic machine guns, rockets & explosive grenades, and the Vietnamese soldiers used underground passages & forest bushes as tactics to eliminate the whites taking advantage of being small and short, and not to be seen in the bushes. After several years of fierce battle, during 1969 and 1970, the Australian government started to withdraw men. The size of the Australian forces were never great compared to the US troops, Australian troops numbering 8300, while the US held the enormous army of 720, 000.

This was not important to them but what was important was their close relationship & alliance as a political support to each other, and once again Australia was able to identify its powerful national ally. However, this time Australias great and powerful friend was not its traditional mother country Britain, but a new national, loyal ally, the United States of America.

Research essay sample on South East Asia World War Ii