Southeast Asia Treaty Organization Formed

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Description

This video comes from “The Big Picture” Television Program Series created by the U.S. Army. Only the first two minutes are online.

The original description reads: The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization and its contribution to our mutual security is the subject for this episode in the Army’s “The Big Picture” weekly television series. The western Pacific and Asia are vitally important parts of the world to the United States. Not only does this area contain a large percentage of all mankind and tremendous resources, but it is also a place where the Communists are making vigorous and ruthless aggression. Based upon the belief that most Americans do not know too much about the SEATO countries, “The Big Picture” staff sent cameras into Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines. The result is a most unusual and dramatic episode in this seven-year-old television series. As pointed-up in the film, present Communist strategy in Southeast Asia is to undermine non-Communist governments by threat and subversion. In the three and a half years since SEATO’s formation, the eight member nations have made long strides forward along the road to mutual security.

You can also watch this video in our main National Archives online catalog.

Transcript

Announcer: This is The Big Picture, an official television report of the United States Army produced for the armed forces and the American people. Now, to show you part of The Big Picture, here is Master Sergeant Stuart Queen:

Master Sergeant Stuart Queen: Following World War II, the major British colonies in Asia received their independence, and Communists seized control of the Chinese mainland. The result was a changed balance of power in Asia. The first of October 1949 has turned out to be a date of great importance in world history. It was on that day that the Chinese Communists announced the establishment of their regime.
The Communist regime at Peiping is founded on the principles of Marx, Lenin, and Stalin, and on Mao Tse-tung’s concepts of new democracy. When the Chinese mainland fell under Communist control, twice as many communist-dominated people were add to the list as there are communist-dominated people in the Soviet Union. Little more than a year after the Red Chinese regime was established, it showed its intentions in Korea. Two years, Red China’s massive armies fought the forces of the United Nations to a stalemate.
While the war raged in Korea, Red China was also flexing her muscles in another part of Asia. With her support, the Communist Viet Minh forces were able to drive Vietnamese and French forces from the northern half of Vietnam…

Citation

This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer.

National Archives Identifier: 2569671

Full Citation: Moving Images 111-TV-403; Southeast Asia Treaty Organization Formed; 1950-1970; Motion Picture Films From “The Big Picture” Television Program Series, ca. 1950 – ca. 1975; Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Record Group 111; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/southeast-asia-treaty-organization/, December 4, 2025]

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