Vietnam War Campaign Analysis

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The Vietnam War was the longest running war to this day. It lasted for 19 years and 5 months, it travelled through Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, it is known as the most gruesome Wars and the most controversial. In this text, i will be discussing 3 sources which of 1 have chosen. The first two sources are anti-conscription images of the conscientious objector William White, and the second is a political poster for the 1966 elections campaigning against conscription. My third source is a pro-conscription poster. Source A is a primary source, this photograph of William White was captured at the time the Vietnam War was occurring. This photograph was taken by John Fairfax, 1966, showing it is a primary source because it is taken in the period.…show more content…
This source is an anti-conscription poster opposing the right to send boys off to the war. This poster was designed by the Labor Party as a campaign for the 1966 elections. During the period of the Vietnam War our nation became divided between the anti-war movement and government supporters. Conscription has always been a controversial issue during World War I, and continued to arrouse again in the Vietnam War. In 1966, Prime Minister Harold Holt announced that conscripts would be sent to fight in Vietnam. This was the first time conscripts had been sent to fight overseas during peacetime. In May 1966, the first conscripted solider was killed in action at only 21 years of age. By examining this source and other anti-conscription posters it is obvious to see why we became such a divided nation and why everyone had their views on sending our boys to fight in a brutal war. I believe a lot of the anti-conscription believers would have a family consisting of sons and its only natural to not want your young son to go fight in a War that you won’t know when or if he will return. I believe this is a valuable source and would be useful to a historian studying this period because it shows a side of Vietnam War and keeps you interested and wanting to know about other campaigns and parties. Additionally, other campaigns such as Save Our Sons, and Youth Campaign Against Conscription were also against conscription and didn’t believe in the sending off of innocent lives. My last source, Source C which is may chosen source is once again a primary source, it is a pro-conscription poster for the Vietnam War. It is a poster divided on two sides with a young man at War in his uniform and the other side is a young man as well kicking back enjoying life reading a magazine. The text across the poster reads “Which picture would your father like to show his
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