Overview- New Zealand Forces in Asia 1948-72

New Zealand Forces in Asia

Between the late 1940s and early 1970s New Zealanders fought in conflicts in Korea, Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam. These conflicts were part of the Cold War waged between the world's 'superpowers' - the United States and the Soviet Union. The Second World War had shown New Zealand that it could no longer rely exclusively on its traditional protector, Great Britain, in times of crisis and in the post-Second World War conflicts in Asia, we took part as an ally of the United States.

East Asia after the Second World War

Japan surrendered on August 15 1945 bringing the Second World War to a close. But East Asia quickly became caught up in the emerging Cold War.

Before and during the Second World War Japan occupied areas that were once under French, Dutch, British and United States rule such as Indochina, Malaya, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Japanese occupation fuelled nationalism in these areas, but the Japanese defeat seemed to signal a return to their pre-war, colonial situation.

After the war, nationalism often combined with the rhetoric and organisation of socialism and communism to resist the re-establishment of former colonial powers.

In many respects the Cold War in East Asia resembled a traditional 'hot war' and the consequences of these conflicts were considerable. For instance in the Korean War, up to 3 million Koreans died throughout the peninsula - two-thirds of them civilians; China lost up to 600,000 soldiers; the USA suffered 54,246 killed; and other UN nations suffered 3,322 killed.