Changes To US Involvement Under Nixon

Question 1

Nixon’s presidential run

Answer 1

He used people’s anger over the war to get elected by promising to leave it.

Question 2

Official peace talks

Answer 2

Five days from becoming president, Nixon sent delegates to Paris to negotiate with North V and South V representitives and VC. Talks were long and difficult.

Question 3

Secret peace talks

Answer 3

August 1969, Henry Kissinger of USA began secret talks with Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam. Nixon didn’t tell US people or South Vietnam.

Question 4

Troop withdrawals

Answer 4

June 1969, Nixon lowered the max number of US troops in Vietnam by 25,000. US began to withdraw troops on 14 July 1969.

Question 5

ARVN training

Answer 5

Vietnamese military, led by General Abrams, told to focus on training ARVN officers and troops

Question 6

Secret bombing of Cambodia

Answer 6

15 March 1969 Nixon ordered secret bombing of parts of Ho Chi Minh trail in Cambodia. Military reports and orders lied because Nixon knew it’d be unpopular (he was expanding the war).

Question 7

Nixon Doctrine

Answer 7

25 July 1969 Nixon gave a speech on the future role of the USA in SEAsian politics

Question 8

Features of the Nixon Doctrine

Answer 8

USA would honour any treaty commitments it’d made
USA would help any ally against nuclear threats
USA would provide TRAINING against non-nuclear threats but NEVER TROOPS; countries must use their own troops

Question 9

Vietnamisation

Answer 9

The word used for the application of the Nixon Doctrine. USA to withdraw troops without appearing defeated and without the south falling to communism

Question 10

What Vietnamisation meant

Answer 10

Shifted responsibility of fighting, and therefore casualties to ARVN
Similar to policy before Johnson: send money and advice, not troops

Question 11

Key features of Vietnamisation

Answer 11

US troops to withdraw
ARVN to provide it’s own officers
US still to provide training and equipment
US withdrawal would be done ‘with honour’- not leaving the South at the mercy of the North and VC
South would remain independent

Question 12

US reactions to Vietnamistation

Answer 12

US citizens happy troops were coming home
Some US military adivisors thought they were withdrawing too soon and could win by sending in more troops to fight the enemy which had been weakened by the Tet Offensive.

Question 13

South Vietnamese reaction to Vietnamisation

Answer 13

Felt it was too soon
ARVN felt vulnerable

Question 14

Opposition to the war’s reaction to Vietnamisation

Answer 14

Felt withdrawal was too slow

Question 15

Cambodia, events of March 1970

Answer 15

Pro American General Lon Nol took over Cambodia and told the North Vietnamese to leave. North Vietnamese joins forces with Cambodian communist guerillas (Khmer Rouge) and supported Sihanouk by attacking Nol Government.

Question 16

Nixon’s reaction to events in Cambodia

Answer 16

He was urged by generals to invade and 50,000 ARVN and 30,000 US troops did. He knew bombing Cambodia would create US oublic outrage and kept bombing secret.

Question 17

How did Nixon justify invading Cambodia

Answer 17

Said US troops could only go 19 miles across the border and had to be out by the 30th of June. Explained on TV and said that invading would limit the casualties of troops still in Vietnam and would end the war sooner.

Question 18

Details of the Bombing and Invasion of Cambodia

Answer 18

1970- US had been secretly bombing Ho Chi Minh trail in cambodia since 1969
US and ARVN invaded to save Cambodia from Khmer Rouge communist Guerillas

Question 19

Effect of the bombing and invasion of Cambodia

Answer 19

Damage done to Ho Chi Minh trail (11,000 communists killed)
Communists used parts of trail in laos and pulled back further into Cambodia where US couldn’t go
Huge public outcry in US- congress cancelled gulf of Tonkin resolution and called for less funding and faster withdrawal

Question 20

Details of the Invasion of Laos

Answer 20

1971- US provided air support for ARVN invasion of 21,000 troops to defeat communist groups in Laos and destroy the trail
North Vietnamese raised 36,000 troops to fight a battle

Question 21

Effects of the invasion of Laos

Answer 21

Battle of Tchepone was bloody and resulted in ARVN retreating
Invasion raised doubts about Vietnamisation
The trail and NV bases in Laos remained secure

Question 22

Details of Easter Offensive and Operation Linebacker

Answer 22

1972- NV launched the Easter offensive on the South in March 1972- initially successful but ARVN with US support pushed them back.
In response, Operation Linebacker was the heavy bombardment of NV with no restrictions

Question 23

Effects of the Easter Offensive and Operation Linebacker

Answer 23

Line Backer severely damaged industry, suplies and communication in the North and China and USSR urged NV to reach a peace settlement
The unrestricted bombing campaign was very controversial and there were protests back in the US

Question 24

(Events before US withdrawal) June 1972

Answer 24

Pressure from NV’s communist allies and American public to end the war

Question 25

(Events before US withdrawal) October 1972

Answer 25

Feeling abandoned by the US (and being left out of negotiations), SV refused to sign a peace treaty. Nixon brought them military equipment and supplies and promised continued support.

Question 26

(Events before US withdrawal) 27 January 1973

Answer 26

Paris agreement signed by US, NV, SV and the Provisional Revolutionary Government (communists in SV). Set up ceasefire and a time-table for peaceful reunification of Vietnam. Widely believed it was to allow the US to leave without it appearing that they’d abandoned SV.

Following this, SV government didn’t negotiate with the communists.

Question 27

(Events before US withdrawal) March 1975

Answer 27

NV army swept through SV. Congress refused to aid the South further. The last Americans in Saigon fled hastily, contradicting the desire to ‘honourably withdraw’ and Vietnam became a united communist country in April 1975.

Question 28

(Why did Vietnamisation fail) the actions/attitudes of US troops

Answer 28

Lost motivation to fight as they knew they’d go home soon. Fragging became more common as did drug use

Question 29

(Why did Vietnamisation fail) problems with ARVN

Answer 29

not enough soldiers, desertion was common, troop numbers unclear, corruption, supplies often stolen and sold off

Question 30

(Why did Vietnamisation fail) training and equipment problems

Answer 30

Congress restricted funding, training for ARVN officers was often hurried so they lacked experience and US equipment mannuals were in English

Question 31

(Why did Vietnamisation fail) economic and political reasons in SV

Answer 31

US withdrawal set off economic crisis, leading to unemployment rising and $bns of US aid stopped. SV government was corrupt, weak and unpopular