THE ANTI WAR MOVEMENT

Who opposed the Vietnam War?

Why?

What did they do?

THREE STAGES

• 1962-65: Small scale, old left
• 1965-70: Grows due to draft resistance and students
• 1970-72: Moratoriums - popular community involvement

WHAT DID THEY OPPOSE?

• Morality of the war
• Conscription
• Anti-Communism
• Methods of fighting
• Not really our war

CULTURAL CONTEXT

• 1960s counterculture
• Free love/hippies
• Baby boomers
• Rock/pop music

WHO THEY WERE

STAGE ONE

• Communist groups
• Church groups
• Middle-class liberals

WHAT DID THEY DO

• Literature
• Traditional protest
• Recognise the Communist government
• Anti-Australian interference

STAGE TWO

• Youth Against Conscription
• Save Our Sons
• Draft Resisters Union
• Student organisations
• Hippies/Countercultural

WHAT DID THEY DO?

• Teach-ins and protests on campus
• Could be exempted to complete education
• Draft card burning
• Created a draft resistance manual
• Larger protests

WHAT DID THEY DO?

• Save Our Sons campaign
• Music
• Protests became more violent
• Drew criticism and lost some support

STAGE THREE

• Massive popular support
• "Don't Register" campaign
• Campaigns to get conscientious objectors out of gaol
• Moratoriums

MORATORIUMS

• Australia-wide mass protests
• First one in May 1970, 200 000 people
• Quite peaceful marches in major cities
• Second one in September 1970
• Smaller (50 000) but more violent

MORATORIUMS

• Third one in June 1971
• Biggest march yet
• Major city centres closed

IMPACT

• Scale of the protest shocked government
• By 1972 clear that most Australians opposed conscription
• In 1972 Labor won election with a promise to abolish it
• Did not convince the government to leave Vietnam
• Long-term impact on the counterculture/students

NEXT TASK

• Now go to ABC Splash
• Melbourne Moratorium Against the War
• Watch and complete tasks