The Vietnam War
Although US President Lyndon Johnson's administration and his envoys exerted sometimes nearly constant pressure, the UK did not explicitly endorse American military participation in Vietnam. But the Vietnam War did not spare Great Britain. Queen Elizabeth saw anti-war demonstrations among her subjects and in her dominions as the 1960s progressed. Similar to the United States, there was a severe divide over American involvement in Vietnam among Queen Elizabeth's territories. British relations with the United States were strained. American antagonism met British efforts to mediate a peace, especially during the Johnson Presidency.
In what is now the country's longest military operation in its history, Australia did send troops to Vietnam. Likewise, New Zealand. These further divisive moves made sure that protests against the war and American involvement in Vietnam would continue. During the 1960s and 1970s, violent anti-war protests were frequent throughout Elizabeth's sphere of influence.
A bit of political doublespeak for which Orwell would have been proud was used by British Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the 1960s when he portrayed Britain's stance toward American activities in Vietnam as one of "negative support." Her Majesty's government spent a lot of time in the 1960s and 1970s focusing on British opposition to the Vietnam War and the alliance of British anti-war activists with those of America and other western nations. Even while Britain wasn't directly fighting in the conflict, the US and UK's "special relationship" was further strained by Britain's division over America's participation.
- Year: 1960s - 1970s
