Changes Under Nixon 1969-73 Flashcards
What was part of Nixons presidential campaign?
He said that he would get the US out of Vietnam
And he promised to always twll the thuth
What aproches did Nixon take to the Vietnam war?
Official peace talks Secret peace talks Troop withdrawles ARNV traning Secret bombing of Cambodia
How did Nixon try to have Officail peace talks?
5 days into his presidency, he aend people to Paris to talk with North and South Vietnam and the VC
but nothing was happening and it was going to be a long prosses as there was a lot of arguing
How did Nixon try and have Secret peace talks?
In August 1969, Henry Kissinger (USA) started secret peace talks with Le Duc Tho (North Vietnam) - Nixon didn’t tell the public of South Vietnam anout these peace talks
How did Nixon help withdraw troops from Vietnam?
In June 1969 he lowered the Maximum number of troop in Vietnam by 25,000
Troops withdrawels started 14th July 1969
How did Nixon help through ARVN training?
US military was told to focus on training rhe ARVN to take over
Who was in charge of Vietnam under Nixon?
General Abrams
When did Nixon order the bombing of Cambodia?
March 1969
Nixon didn’t tell the US public as he knew expanding the war would be unpopular
When was the Nixon Doctrine said?
In a speach, 25th July 1969
What did the Nixon Doctrine say?
The US would houner any agreements made
The US would help any ally against nuclear threats
US would provide training and aid against nin nuclear threats, but not troops
What was Vietnamisation?
The US said that they were shifting the fighting to the ARVN whist withdrawing their own troops
Trying to make it not look like a retreat
What were the key features about Vietnamisation?
US withdrew troops
ARNV would provide their own officers
US would still provide equipment and training
An hounerable withdraw
South Vietnam would remain a seperate country
Was Vietnamisation a sucess?
Didn’t look like an hounarble retreat but it got the US out of the war
North Vietnam - easier to fight the ARVN than the US
American Public - their children were coming home
Who didn’t like Vietnamisation?
South Vietnam - saw the US as abandoning them
US general/Military - they didn’t think that the ARVN was ready yet
Describe US involvment in 1970?
$18,536 million
334,600 soldiers
6,173 dead
Who was rhe ruler of Cambodia in 1969?
What were his opinions in the Vietnam war?
Prince Sihanouk
He was neutral
What happened in March 1970?
A pro American took charge of Cambodia and ordered the VC to get out
New leader of Cambodia was - General Lon Nol
How did North Vietnam react to Lon Nol?
They joined with the khmer Rouge to attack Nol’s government
Who were the Khmer Rouge?
Cambodian communist gurrila fighters
Who supported Nol?
US advisers told Nixon to help him
How many troops invaded Cambodia?
About 50,000 ARVN
About 30,000 US
What were Nixon’s orders about the Invasion of Cambodia?
The troops could only go 19 miles inside Cambodian territory
All troops were to be out by 30 June
He went to TV to explain himslef
What was the result of the Invasion of Cambodia?
Significant damage done to the Ho Chi Minh trail
11,000 comunists killed
Nol was kept in power
Communist bases and supplies were destoryed
Ho Chi Minh trial was still operation
Khmer Rouge his deeper in Vietnamand Laos
Huge outcry in the US
Congress was furios and cancelled the Gulk of Tonkin Resolution
When was the Invasion of Laos?
1971
How many troops invades Laos?
About 21,000 ARVN troops
Who did the US help in Laos?
They agreed to provide aur support of the invasion
What important city was taken in Laos?
Tchepone
Why couldn’t the VC afford to loose the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos?
It would be a big loss
Amount of weapons and supplies that could be transfered would be lost
They would loose a lot of infunstructure
…
What army did the North Vietnamese raise to deffend Laos?
About 36,000 troops and tanks
What happened at Tchpone?
After abloody battle the VC won dispire US air support. There was heavy casulties and a lot of equipment was left behind
When was the Easter Offensive?
1972
What was the Easter Offensive?
An attack by the North Vietnames and VC which targeted the ARVN
An attack at 3 different places by about 120,000 North Vietnamese troops
What showed that Vietnamiation was failing?
Invasion of Laos and the loos at tchpone
When did the Easter Offensive start?
End of March 1972
How mnay troops were involved in the Easter Offensive?
120,000 North Vietnamese troops
Why was the Easter Offensive a big suprise?
The US had said that a big invasion wasn’t possible
What was US involvment like in Vietnam in 1972?
$8,662
24,200 troops
759 dead
Why did Vietnamisation fail?
US troops
The ARVN
Training and equipment
Economic and political problems in South Vietnam
Why did US troops lead Vietnamisation to fail?
US troops didn’t want to fight and risk their lives once they knew they were going home
Fragging increased
Drug usage - marijuna and heroin
What was fragging?
Killing an senior officer as you didn’t want to follow their orders
How did the cases of fragging rise?
1969-70
96 to 209
The army said that how many people were addicted to heroin?
35,000
In June 1971 what happened?
An retired general wrote an article about drug taking and how people didn’t necesarity want to fight
How did the ARVN cause Vietnamisation to fail?
Not enough troops
Desertion was common
Officers were too proud to call for military support
Some officers didn’t want to fight
Lot of corruption
Military supply like petrol was stolen and sold off for a profit (for the robber)
How many troops did the ARVN have in 1971?
Over half the male population 15-49 years old was in the army
Hard to tell as some officers took bribes to say that soldiers were present when they wern’t - some lied because then they would get paid more
How common was desertion in 1969-71?
1969 - 123,000
1971 - 150,500 (about 24,000 left to help their families with harvest and then retuned)
How did Training and equipment lead to Vietnamasation failing?
Over time congress restriced funding
Officers training was rushed as they were needed
US equipment manuals came in English which wasn’t understood by the Vietnamese generals
How did the ARVN counter the fact that instructions were in English?
English clases were set up but many didn’t have time for them
How many officers went into battle with less than a years experience in 1971?
75%
How did Economic and political problems lead Vietnamisation to fail?
Departure of US lead to an economic crisis also because many billion dollers of US aid stopped
People competed for their own power and not to win the war
ARVN was a week army in size and effeciency
What was US involvment like in 1975 like?
$1,530
161 troops
62 deaths
When was the Paris Agreement signed?
27th January 1973
What wmade the Provisional Revolutionary Government sign the Paris Agreements?
Promises from Nixon that Vietnam would still get support
What was the end of the Vietnam war?
Where?
When?
1975 - fall of Saigon
Whay happened in the end of the war in Saigon?
There was a less than hounarbly evacuation by the US of it’s people
