What was the aim of the moratorium movement in Australia?

Answer 1

IntroductionAnti-war protests had been taking place in Australia since 1962 when the first military advisors had been sent in to Vietnam. Since then, protests had taken place for various reasons at various times. After the announcement in April 1965 that Australia was sending the first battalions of soldiers to Vietnam that the protest movement began to take shape.

By 1970 the Vietnam War had become the longest war that Australia had ever been involved in. The anti-war movement had grown from small demonstrations into huge rallies, marches, sit-ins, church services and candlelight vigils. The people who took part were not all political and social radicals, many ordinary Australians were coming out in opposition to the war. The moratorium rallies were an outpouring of that support with huge numbers of people taking to the streets to demonstrate the strength and power behind the anti-war movement. They believed if they could prove there was enough popular support for withdrawing from Vietnam, then the government would have to listen.

The beginning of the Moratorium movementThe first moratorium on Vietnam took place in America. Hundreds of thousands of people stopped work for the day and marched in the streets to protest American involvement in the war. The Australian moratoriums were organised by representatives of the major anti-war groups in the aftermath of the My Lai massacre coming to light and the defeat of the Labor Party in the 1969 federal election. They met in November 1969 and announced that an Australian moratorium would be held in May the following year. Its aims were twofold; firstly to force a withdrawal of Australian and other foreign troops from Vietnam and secondly to repeal the National Service Act 1964 (Cth).

The moratoriums were a turning point in the anti-war movement in Australia as it was the first time that there would be a nationwide response to Vietnam. Until that point, demonstrations had been independently organised by the various different peace groups, with no central organisation. That was all about to change.

It was announced in December 1969 that in line with the beginning of American withdrawal, one Australian battalion would be brought home by the middle of 1970. This did not stop the moratorium movement - they continued to make plans for the rallies and continued to demand immediate withdrawal of all troops.

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The first MoratoriumThe first Vietnam Moratorium took place on 8 and 9 May 1970 and over 200 000 people across Australia took part; in Melbourne an estimated 100 000 marched. It was a peaceful demonstration with no arrests made. It was also a defining moment for many Australians who had never openly declared their support for the peace groups. It was a very sensitive and divisive issue, many people went against their families' and friends' beliefs to march in the moratoriums - some people even disguised themselves so as not to be recognised.

In Adelaide some pro war protesters also came out on the day of the first Moratorium - they set Viet Cong flags on fire and threw them in among the marchers. Scuffles between pro- and anti- Vietnam groups also took place in other cities around Australia, but it was generally peaceful. For once the government did not over react and employ any heavy handed tactics to deal with the Moratorium marchers.

The second Vietnam Moratorium in September 1970 was smaller, however, more violence occurred. Approximately 50,000 people participated and there were violent incidents between police and demonstrators. Two hundred people were arrested in Sydney alone.

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The third Moratorium campaign in June 1971 closed the centre of many of the major cities. In Melbourne there was another march of nearly 100 000 people. By this time public opinion was beginning to turn decisively against conscription and Australian involvement in the war.

The effects of the Moratorium movementThe strength of the moratorium movement did shock the government - they were surprised at the level of ant-Vietnam and anti-government feeling in the country. They had thought the announcement of the withdrawal of a battalion would be enough to appease the people, but they were wrong. They had only just won the 1969 federal election and they were starting to realise that after more than 20 years in power, they were no longer invincible. The Liberal Party was starting to fall apart.

By the end of the war in 1972 it became obvious that the majority of Australians were anti-conscription. Australians no longer wanted the prestige that supposedly came with fighting wars, they no longer agreed with the 'Forward Defence' policy of going out and meeting the threat where it was. The graphic nightly news broadcasts of the conflict in Vietnam had increased ordinary Australians' dislike for the war; until they no longer believed they should be fighting or that the war could be won.

Withdrawal from VietnamDespite their superior technology, it did not seem the Americans would be able to achieve an outright victory. As a result, America was determined to step up the training for the South Vietnamese army and begin a withdrawal of its troops. This policy was also adopted by the Australian Government. Between November 1970 and December 1971, Australian troops were slowly withdrawn from Vietnam. As each battalion completed its tour of duty, they were not replaced. Only a small advisory force remained to represent Australia. This was in accordance with the American withdrawal policy, but was also spurred on by the anti-war movement in Australia.

Six months after the third Moratorium, the Liberal Party, now led by William McMahon, was defeated in the federal election by the Australian Labor Party (ALP). The ALP, now led by E. G. (Gough) Whitlam had campaigned on the platform of ending conscription. They immediately abolished conscription and freed those who had been imprisoned for resisting. Whitlam also announced that the last of the Australian troops in Vietnam would come home. Australian involvement was officially over after ten years.