Conclusion
While we did contribute troops to Vietnam, for the most part the people affected by those who went to war were a minority on a national scale. The protests themselves were more significant because they resonate throughout all of society today. The most significant impact which the Vietnam War had on New Zealand was how it changed foreign and security policies so that it would reflect our own national ideals and identity. The government’s eventual agreement that New Zealand’s involvement in the Vietnam War was wrong was welcomed by the majority of the public as a victory, despite division. There has been a shift in societal attitudes in that we are no longer overly concerned with abiding by alliances to ensure our own security, nor are we concerned with overhanging threats such as communism. The anti-Vietnam War protests have shaped our society today in being part of an overall trend of establishing our own national identity.