The Vietnam War Era

  • Communist revolution at the end of WW1

  • End of WW2; North Korea becomes communist; Russia and western powers began dividing Germany along ideological lines

  • Malayan emergency

  • China becomes communist, East Germany becomes communist

  • Korean war - Communist North invades non-Communist south. communist party dissolution bill 1950

  • Australia signs ANZUS treaty. Referendum to ban the Communist party of Australia

  • End of Korean war. Korea divided

  • Australia signs SEATO treaty. Petrov Affair

  • Australia defence forces committed to Malaya. Menzies Liberal government wins federal election

  • Cuba becomes communist

  • Berlin wall is raised

  • Australia sends 30 military advisers to Vietnam. Cuban missile crisis

  • US president John F. Kennedy assassinated

  • Australia commits troops to the Vietnam war

  • the white Australia policy is dismantled, clearing the way for Vietnamese refugees to be accepted into Australia

  • the last Australian troops are withdrawn from the Vietnam war; Vietnam becomes communist

  • Berlin wall is opened and finally brought down in 1992

  • Soviet Union is dissolved; Cold War ends