New Zealand and the Vietnam war : politics and diplomacy / Roberto Rabel.

"Published in association with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage"--Title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 366-433) and index.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 425-433) and index.

1. New Zealand and the First Indochina War, 1945-54 -- 2. From Geneva to the Tonkin Gulf: A decade of decisions deferered, 1954-64 -- 3. In the Cold War's shadow: The origins and evolution of domestic debate about the Vietnam War, 1945-64 -- 4. An acceptable price to pay: The diplomacy of combat intervention in the Vietnam War, 1964-5 -- 5. The domestic politics of combat intervention, January-June 1965 -- 6. Part of the way with LBJ: New Zealand defers an expanded commitment, June 1965-December 1966 -- 7. A war of words: Defining the domestic political debate about Vietnam, June-December 1965 -- 8. The domestic politics of the Vietnam War in an election year, 1966 -- 9. Paying a higher premium: The escalation of New Zealand's military effort, 1967-8 -- 10. Dialogue of the deaf: The domestic politics of the Vietnam Conflict, 1967-8 -- 11. Concluding a chapter: The diplomacy of military desengagement from Vietnam, 1969-72 -- 12. The fracturing of foreign policy consensus, 1969-72 -- 13. New Zealand and the ending of the Vietnam War, 1972-5 -- 14. The historical significance of New Zealand's Vietnam experience.

"Starting with the first Indochina War in the 1950s, this historical analysis covers the full story of New Zealand's relations with Vietnam up to the end of the Vietnam War in the 1970s. It explores the diplomatic history of the engagement, which is not well known or understood, and shows that officials and politicians in fact entered the war with extreme reluctance. Running parallel with this is an account of the passionate domestic politics provoked by the war which has had such a long-term effect on New Zealand's foreign policy. Roberto Rabel's thorough and balanced study of these dramatic times is a thought-provoking book."--Jacket.