It can be determined that the fear of communism would greatly impact the capitalist nations, including Australia. It can be stated the key developments in Australia’s response to the threat of communism included Forward Defence Policy, the SEATO and ANZUS treaties (South East Asia Treaty Organisation and the Australia New Zealand United States) taking part in military wars including The Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and The Vietnam War. The Forward Defence Policy was based on the concept that it was in Australia’s best interest to meet any threats to Australia as far away from the mainland as possible. This policy would see Australia set up military bases overseas and
However, the USA in the 1950s believed that if South Vietnam (which was not controlled by Ho) fell to Ho, this would mean communist expansion. This was because the American administration believed in the domino theory, i.e. once a country falls to communism, this will mean that Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, etc will start to fall to communism. In turn, the USA under Eisenhower drew a line in Vietnam to stop Ho reunification attempt. At the same time they tried to create a strong non-communist South Vietnam under the leadership of Diem.
Containment was a foreign policy introduced at the start of the Cold War by the United States, aimed at stopping the spread of Communism and keeping it 'contained' and isolated within its current borders, otherwise the 'domino effect' would occur, where if one nation became Communist, the surrounding ones would follow. The doctrine was expanded to cover the world, leading to US involvement in Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan and several other nations. US direct involvement in Korea can be seen as a direct result of the policy of containment. The end of World War II brought the redrawing of boundaries all over the world. Korea, conquered by Japan during the war, was divided at the 38th parallel then given to the USSR in the north and the US in the south.
As if to reinforce the fear of communism, two spies working on behalf of the Soviet Embassy were discovered in an event known as the Petrov Affair and reignited the fear of communism which became stronger than ever before. The government’s seemingly desperate response to communism, such as sending Australian troops overseas in forward defence and in the hopes of displaying loyalty to America in return for support in a potential attack, also added to the fear of communism among citizens as they realised their own government saw communism as a menace. It is evident that events such as the Petrov Affair, a direct result of the Cold War, made Australian society extremely anxious about the threat of communism and this lead to substantial tension within the community. Unease within society became quite apparent as people became more concerned over national security and the government continued to send troops overseas to fight in wars against communist powers. During the 50’s and 60’s, there were many political and social protests within Australia and it was evident that the nation was split on many issues, especially those regarding war.
One key reason why the US became progressively involved in Vietnam was the fear of the Domino theory. The Domino theory was arguably the most significant cause for the escalation of US support in the Vietnam War. The Americans feared that if they left the corrupt South Vietnamese government alone, the whole country would collapse to communism and ultimately spread to neighboring countries such as Laos and Cambodia. The most important reason as to why the United States became increasingly involved in Vietnam was the long-term effect of the Domino Theory. The Domino Theory was the belief that once one country had fallen to communism, its neighbors would do the same.
He charged that there were 205 communist spies in the state department who were selling out the United States. McCarthy warned that there were communist traitors in American government and society that were threatening to destroy the United States. He declared: "When a great democracy is destroyed, it will not be because of enemies from without, but rather because of enemies from within." McCarthy called for a "moral uprising" of Americans to drive these dangerous communists out of government and society. He also declared that the United States had lost ground in the world not as a result of foreign aggression, but “because of the traitorous actions of those who have been treated so well by this nation.” The corporate-controlled news media also shared the blame for McCarthy's ability to disseminate "great lies."
The Vietnam War was a civil war fought between the communist north and the capitalist south. The USA got involved in this because they feared the spread of communism because of the domino theory. Domino theory is the idea that if one country was to fall to communism then the rest of the countries in the region. “The US leaders were very worried the Vietnam would be just the start of a chain of communist take-overs...This theory was called the Domino Theory”. China had already become communist and Vietnam seemed to follow.
America would aid any country threatened by communism. For example, the US provided economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey as their governments were fighting against communism in their own countries. Truman believed that weak states like these were highly susceptible to a communist takeover. The Truman Doctrine also provided the basis of the Domino Theory, which states that if the US does not stop the spread of communism, countries would fall under communism one after another, just like dominoes creating a toppling chain. Agreeing with Truman's sentiments, the American Congress voted $400 million dollars of aid to Greece and Turkey.
How far do you agree with the view that the Korean War had a significant impact on the early stages of the Cold War? The Korean War (1950-1953) was a conflict between the Communist North and the Capitalist South of Korea who had been separated along the 38th Parallel, temporarily, by the US dominated UNTOK after World War Two. This war was supposedly based on the pledge of the US to reunify a capitalist Korea after Kim Il Sung’s communist invasion of the South. In reality, this war was an allegorical pawn for the development of the Cold War. It significantly highlighted the true conflict involving the US and the USSR, and more importantly the ongoing battle between two opposing ideologies- capitalism and communism.
The USA entered the war to stop the spread of Communism in South East Asia. Americans fear of Communism meant that American governments in the 1950s and 1960s used their economic and military strength to support anti-Communists around the world. In South-East Asia, the USA became heavily involved in the defence of South Vietnam. In the early stages of the Vietnam War, many Americans supported US government policy. By 1968, however, over half a million US soldiers and marines were fighting in the jungles of South Vietnam and there had been thousands of US casualties.