Changes under Nixon

Question 1

What were official peace talks?

Answer 1

5 days after he became president he sent delegates to Paris to negotiate for peace with representative from North and South vietnam and the VC

Question 2

When did Secret peace talks happen?

Answer 2

August 1969 Hennery Kissinger of USA began secret peace talks with Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam
Nixon did not tell USA or the south of vietnam about these talks

Question 3

What did Nixon do in terms of troop withdrawal?

Answer 3

In june 1969 he lowered the maximum number of troops in Vietnam by 25000.The USA began to withdraw troops on 14 July

Question 4

When was Cambodia bombed secretly?

Answer 4

15 March 1968 Nixon ordered part of Ho Chi Minh Trail to be bombed that ran through Cambodia
military orders lied about bombing raids because Nixon knew this expanding of the war would be very unpopular

Question 5

What was the Nixon Doctrine?

Answer 5

25 July 1969
USA would honour any treaty commitments it had made
USA would help any ally against nuclear threat
USA would provide aid and training against non-nuclear threats but not troops

Question 6

What was Vietnamisation?

Answer 6

term used to for the application of the Nixon Doctrine to Vietnam

Question 7

What were the Key features of Vietnamisation?

Answer 7

US troops to withdraw
ARVN was to provide its own officers
US was still to provide training and equipment
US withdrawal would be done with honour
south vietnam would stay a separate country and not become communist

Question 8

Was vietnamisation seen as a failure or success?

Answer 8

FAILURE-troops were being withdrawn to soon
some military wanted to send in more troops after TET
SUCCESS-succeeded in the most basic aim

Question 9

What happened in cambodia?

Answer 9

March 1970 pro-American general Lon Nol took over in Cambodia and told north Vietnamese to leave

Question 10

Who did NV join forces with?

Answer 10

NV joined forces with Cambodia Communist guerillas and supported Sihanouk by attacking the Nol goverment

Question 11

What did USA do when NV attacked nol?

Answer 11

Nixon invaded cambodia to support nol and save cambodia from communism.He wanted to keep this a secret and they had to be back by 30 June.He also went on Tv to explain why troops were going to cambodia

Question 12

What was the result of the invasion?

Answer 12

Ho Chi Minh trail was damages and hundred of acres of jungle was destroyed.Weapons and supplies were captured
nol gov was in power,11,000 communist killed
communist bases were destroyed

Question 13

Despite the result of the invasion what else happened?

Answer 13

ARVN couldn’t invade to far or they would be cut off from US support
Damage to the Ho Chi Minh Trail did not stop NV getting to the SV-they used sections that were in the neighbouring country

Question 14

How did USA public and congress react to the invasion\?

Answer 14

gulf of tonkin was cancelled
less funding to the war and faster troop withdrawal from vietnam
huge public outrage in the USA

Question 15

What happened in Laos 1971?

Answer 15

South Vietnam pushed an attack on Laos and USA agreed to provide air support
NV had to fight Laos was their only bases and needed to keep them secure

Question 16

What was the out come of Laos?

Answer 16

ARVN fled leaving weapons and equipment behind and they had high casualties
NV kept they bases secure but there was still struggle for political power in Laos

Question 17

What was the Easter Offensive?

Answer 17

NV planned an attack on 30 march NV troops crossed SV boarder and attacked in 3 diff places VC and other guerilla groups joined

Question 18

Was the Ester offensive in 1972 successful;?

Answer 18

Attack was successful at the start but then US and ARVN pushes the North back

Question 19

What was operation linebacker on 6 april 1972?

Answer 19

in response of easter offensive
USA heavy bombed North Vietnam
mines were to be dropped in Haiphong harbour and blockades to keep ships from china and the USSR from reaching NV

Question 20

What did linebacker achieve?

Answer 20

almost wiped out NV war industry
disrupted supplies from china and ussr
destroyed radio stations
led to china and USSR urging NV to reach a peace settlement

Question 21

Why did vietnamisation fail?

Answer 21

NV eventually took Saigon and vietnam was united under a communist government

Question 22

What does fragged mean?

Answer 22

officers who forced troops to fight were fragged meaning they were killed by their own men

Question 23

What problems did ARVN face?

Answer 23

desertion was common
officers were reluctant to lead their troops into battle and dint want to admit their needed help
corruption
military supplies were sold off

Question 24

Why was training and equipment a problem?

Answer 24

congress restricted funding overtime
needed south vietnamese officers training was hurried
newly trained officers were needed in the war

Question 25

What economic and political problem did SV face?

Answer 25

US withdrew troops despite knowing ARVN could not protect south
departure of US personal set of an economic crisis and SV lost their jobs

Question 26

Why was Saigon gov weak?

Answer 26

gov is saigon fell because it was weak politically and military
POLITICALLY-members competed fro power,corrups,lacks support no support of villagers
MILITARILY–ARVN could not hold off NV

Question 27

Who refused to sigh a peace agreement and why?

Answer 27

SV felt abandoned and left out of negotiations so didnt sihn the peace agreement in october 1972

Question 28

What was the paris agreement and who signed it?

Answer 28

nixon promised to send supplies and military support to SV
27 Jan 1973 Paris Agreement was signed by USA, NV, SV set up a ceasefire and timetable for peace reunification of vietnam

Question 29

What happened after the Paris agreement?

Answer 29

SV refused to work with communist
march 1975 NV army swept through SV
congress refused to provide aid to south
Saigon fell and became a united communist country