During the Vietnamese war, conscription sparked a fierce debate that lasted for years, and split the Australian public into two. When Australia agreed to help the South Vietnamese, at the hands of the communist Vietcong, very few Australians questioned the judgement of the Australian leaders. However, in November, 1964 - when the Australian Government brought conscription into the Vietnamese war, with plans to increase the Australian army to 37,500 within the next three years, in the form of ‘National