14. President Nixon's Policies In Vietnam Flashcards
When was Nixon elected?
-January 1969
What is vietnamisation?
-withdrawal of US troops and replacement with SV forces
What did Nixon hope vietnamisation would do domestically?
- reduce the anti-war sentiment within the US with the implementation of SV troops instead of US
- strengthen his political security
What was Nixon’s aim with vietnamisation in vietnam?
- Strengthen his negotiating position with NV as they were willing to withdraw
- would convince NV that SV was secure against threats from US
Although troops were being withdrawn what was vietnamisation not?
- it was not the abandonment of Vietnam
- it was a strategy to limit US engagement in unwinnable foreign conflicts
What did Nixon do for SV during vietnamisation and what did this show?
- poured resources into SV forces
- troops were paid more= benefits+ conditions improved
- increase in weapons
- ARVN increased to 1 mil by 1970
- became an effective fighting force
When was the spring offensive?
-1972 (by NV)
when and What happened in the spring offensive?
- 1972 (by NV)
- 8,000 ARVN casualties
- 5x more casualties for the north
- ARVN supported by US bombers
Why did moral of ARVN remain low after spring offensive and what was the impact?
- due to high casualty rate
- problems of corruption as officers were picked on basis of loyalty to Theiu regime not ability
- US casualties declined while ARVN casualties rose
What link was created between ARVN and US through vietnamisation?
- much like NV depended on USSR + China
- ARVN was dependant on USA and acted as a force fighting a political war
What was the overall impact of vietnamisation?
- positive outcomes domestically as people were happy that US seemed to take more passive roll
- little to strengthen peace w/ honour in Vietnam
When did bombing start in Cambodia?
March, 1969
What was the name and aim of the bombing of Cambodia?
- operation menu
- designed to target parts of Cambodia regarded as safe by NV
- to sever supply line on ho chi Minh trail
- pressure north into peace settlement
- retain commitment from SV
What happened when NV began to increase presence in Cambodia?
- US feared possibility of communist regime as Alhambra Rouge + Vietcong allies pushed towards the capital
- this would undermine vietnamisation as communist control would mean US forces would have to counter this attack
What did Nixon decide US should do about Cambodia?
- show of force would show NV that US is committed to SV
- strengthen US negotiating position
- SV forces w/ US air support carried out raids on Cambodia
When did US order raids on Cambodia?
-April, 1970
What announcement counteracted US commitment to SV?
-Nixon announced after raids on Cambodia that he would withdraw 150,000 troops within the year
What were the positive consequences of extending the war into Cambodia for the US?
- ability of Vietcong to operate in Cambodia was undermined
- large quantities of Vietcong supplies were destroyed
- possibility of NV offensive against SV was undermined due to losses
- invasion increased USA commitment whilst withdrawing forces to pressure diplomacy =peace w/ honour
What were the negative consequences of extending the war into Cambodia for the US?
- no strategic gains achieved for US
- NV moved deeper into Cambodia and strengthen support for communist regime
- domestic opposition to war increased, cashing student protests which incurred deaths which rallied nationwide protests
- June 1970 senate voted to remove gold of Tonkin resolution
How did Nixon further extend the war after Cambodia?
-attaching the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos
why did Nixon want to disable the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos?
- feared massive communist advance in 1972
- to stall logistical support that NV were dependent on
what and when was operation lam?
- Feb, 1971
- plan to support ARVN invasion of Laos with US air support
- aim to disrupt NV supply lines along ho chi minh
- ARVN attacked with 30,000
- ARVN was forced to withdraw
what did operation lam show?
- showed the weakness of the ARVN
- showed the weakness of vietnamisation showing SV weren’t committed and effective fighting force
