By 1970, the Vietnam War had become the longest war in which Australia had ever been involved. 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.

INTRODUCTION

National Service Act was passed 1964Anti conscription posters

The 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.

The First Moratorium

POSTER supporting the Moratorium Movement

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Withdraw All Forces Now And End US And Australian Intervention In Indo-China, c1971.

Sydney 1971 Anti War protest

The 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, and 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.

EFFECTS of the Moratorium Movement

In 1973, the Americans and North Vietnamese signed a peace deal which saw the withdrawal of the majority of American troops from South Vietnam. The war between North and South Vietnam continued. Without American support, the South Vietnamese government could not hold back the forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnam. In April 1975 the world watched in horror as Saigon was captured by the communists and thousands of South Vietnamese people fought to get on the last US helicopters to leave the city. The Vietnam War was over and the country had been reunited under communist rule - something America had spent 20 years, billions of dollars and 55 000 dead soldiers trying to stop it.

The end of the Vietnam War