End of the War Flashcards
What obstacles prevented peace negotiations?
- Whether or not to unite Vietnam
- How to unite Vietnam
- Troop withdrawl from South Vietnam - they were weakened
- Who governed South - the government the US supported or the NLF (now called the Professional Revolutionary Government).
What did Nixon do to achieve peace?
He continued official and secret negotiations with China and the USSR to resolve the Cold War and to pressure North Vietnam into peace talks. He also continued bombings and Vietnamisation in the 1970s.
Why were talks from October 1972 unsuccessful?
The South Vietnamese leader, Thieu, refused to sign as he felt he had no say in the agreement.
What were the reasons for agreeing peace?
- No victory in sight
- Growing anti-war feeling in the US and worldwide
- Reduced funding by Congress
- Growing casualty list
- Growing cost
- Continued bombing of North Vietnam
- Possible loss of Chinese and Soviet aid
What was agreed at the Paris Peace Accords?
- US to give aid to reconstruct the North and South
- US troops and bases to be withdrawn
- No more US support for ARVN
- All countries accept Vietnam as a single country
- Prisoners of war and captured equipment to be returned
- Ceasefire to begin
- New Vietnamese government to be elected with international supervision
What happened to Vietnam after the Americans withdrew?
The South Vietnamese economy collapsed due to a lack of funding and Thieu failed to replace corruption in the government. The VC became stronger again.
North Vietnam became impatient with Thieu and launched a new attack in December 1974. By April 1975, the south was defeated.
What was the economic cost of the war on the US?
The war cost an estimated $167 billion
What was the political cost of the war?
- LBJ could not fund his idea of a “Great Society”
- Led to a lack of trust between civilians and the government / millitary
- US had lost reputation abroad and failed to prevent Vietnam from becoming Communist
What was the millitary cost of the war?
- Many saw it as a defeat to a country “inferior” to the US
- Over 50,000 casualties
- Veterans treated with hostility upon returning
- Suicide rates for veterans were higher than average
What was the social cost of the war?
- Many believed money would’ve been better spent on other things
- The war had a psychological impact on survivors
- Protest movements showed a more divided society
Why did the US fail? - North Vietnamese strengths
- They understood the language, climate and language
- Guerilla tactics used by VC were very effective
- North had plenty of support from neighbouring countries
- The North Vietnamese were united against the cause
Why did the US fail? - US weaknesses
- Never won the hearts and minds of the people - their tactics caused resentment
- Faced significant opposition to the war in the US
- The draft meant that soldiers were normally young and inexperienced
- Growing public opposition made it almost impossible for the government to continue the war
