Embedded Resource
Description
This video is about the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), and it aired on "The Big Picture" Television Program Series, which was created by the U.S. Army. Only the first two minutes are available in this clip. SEATO was created in September 1954 and ended in 1977. It was primarily created to block further communist gains in Southeast Asia. Based on the belief that most Americans did not know much about the SEATO countries, "The Big Picture" staff sent cameras into Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines. The result is an episode that highlights the Communist strategy in Southeast Asia to undermine non-communist governments by threat and subversion.
Source-Dependent Questions
- How does the announcer choose to describe the Communist threat? Why would he choose such words?
- Why after World War II would the threat of communism in Asia be of a concern to the United States?
Citation Information
"Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) Nations," The Big Picture Television Program Series, ca. 1950-1975. Courtesy of the National Archives