PERSPECTIVES OF THE VIETNAM WAR

Dear students,

I have posted eight sources on differing perspectives from groups in Australia on the Vietnam War.
Please answer the following questions based on the source you have been allocated.

SOURCE QUESTIONS

1) What perspective on the Vietnam War does each source portray?
2) How do we know that the source is for / against the war? (For example, language used, images etc.)
3) List the reasons (if any) that the source presents for being for or against the Vietnam War.

SOURCE 8

Figure 8: Eastern Suburbs Moratorium Committee flyer. From Anderson, M., & Ashton, P. (2000). Australian History and Citizenship. South Yarra, VIC: McMillan Education Australia, p. 242.

SOURCE 7

Figure 7: An ex-national serviceman's view. From Anderson, M., & Ashton, P. (2000). Australian History and Citizenship. South Yarra, VIC: McMillan Education Australia, p. 243.

SOURCE 6

Figure 6: Jean McLean interview in Gloria Frydman, Protesters. From Anderson, M., & Ashton, P. (2000). Australian History and Citizenship. South Yarra, VIC: McMillan Education Australia, p. 241. 

SOURCE 5

Figure 5: Letter to the Editor, The Australian, 6 May 1970, p. 8. From ‘VCE: Attitudes to the Vietnam War’ by The Shrine of Remembrance Education Program, n.d., p. 69, http://www.shrine.org.au/getattachment/dc8b4c54-ca76-488d-9ffe-4c11ec2852fc/VCE-Vietnam-War.aspx.

SOURCE 4

Figure 4: Newspaper reactions to the Vietnam War. From ‘Australia and the Vietnam War’ by ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Qld) Incorporated, 2003, p. 17, http://www.anzacday.org.au/education/activities/viet_war/images/vietnam_war.pdf

SOURCE 3

Figure 3: The Opposition’s response to the Government's Announcement of Australia's Commitment to the Vietnam War. From Australia and the Vietnam War by Australian Government - Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2007, p. 20, http://www.dva.gov.au/commems_oawg/commemorations/education/Documents/avw_topic1.pdf.

SOURCE 2

Figure 2: Government's Announcement of Australia's Commitment to the Vietnam War. From Australia and the Vietnam War by Australian Government - Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2007, p. 20, http://www.dva.gov.au/commems_oawg/commemorations/education/Documents/avw_topic1.pdf.

SOURCE 1

Figure 1: An anti-war vigil outside Parliament House in Canberra, May 1968. From 'Australia and the Vietnam War' by Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2013, http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/public-opinion/index.php. 

WORDLE ACTIVITY

A Wordle is a word cloud collated words from texts. The larger words are those which are more frequent in the text.

Go to: http://www.tagxedo.com/artful/184490d90f764c01

I have created this Wordle from the text of different sources about Australian perspectives of the Vietnam War.

What perspectives towards and ideas of the Vietnam War do you think groups in Australia would have had based on this Wordle?