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South Korean War Analysis

Decent Essays

On September 28, 1950, the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment arrived in Pusan, South Korea in what would be Australia’s major contribution in the war effort against invading forces from the north of the Korean peninsula, to the Korean People’s Army (KPA). “Following Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies’ endorsement of UNSC Resolution 82, this would see the beginning of a three year conflict in which Australia would commit 17,000 troops and suffer over 300 fatalities, only five years after the end of the Second World War, (AWM, 2016)”. In what was predicated as Australia’s commitment to providing peacekeeping troops for the United Nations to preserve the freedom of South Koreans, the Korean War would eventually play a fundamental role in solidifying Australia’s shift in vital military alliances, in particular the post WWII development of the United States in surpassing the United Kingdom as a key protector of Australia.
Whilst the invasion of South Korea by North Korean troops might not have presented a direct threat to Australian security interests, in can be seen that the development of the conflict heightened …show more content…

(1950). Governor-General's Speech. Parliamentary Debates (pp. 290-291). Canberra: Senate.
Furthermore, this statement appears to reject the notion of the domino theory describing the emergence of communism in Asian nations as
“...the working people awakening to the fact they can rule nations”.
Whilst this is a highly authoritative primary source, as a key figure in the Labor Party it should be noted that O’Flaherty’s comment reflects the party’s objective at the time to minimize the perception of a communist threats due to public fears of a communist influence within the trade union movement, (Kendall, 2008, p. 48). As such, Menzies’ and Spender’s political views with regards to the spread of communism can be seen as representative and necessary in evaluating Australia’s historical dependence on a larger military

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