foreign policy under Nixon 1969-74

Question 1

what was Nixon’s approach to Vietnam?

Answer 1

• elected on a promise to withdraw US troops from Vietnam
• ## wanted to achieve ‘peace with honour’

Question 2

what was Nixons strategy of Vietnamisation?

Answer 2

the gradual withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam and their replacement with well-trained and well-equipped ARVN troops.

Question 3

was vietnamisation an effective strategy?

Answer 3

no as the ARVN suffered major problems, such as desertion and poor leadership, and without US ground support they would be no match for the Northern Vietnamese forces.

Question 4

what strategy did Nixon adopt after the failure of vietnamisation?

Answer 4

by 1971 had a more diplomatic strategy to end the War in Vietnam. Talks were opened up with the USSR and China in an attempt to get them to put pressure on the Northern Vietnamese to sign a peace settlement with the USA.

Question 5

when was a ceasefire declared in Vietnam?

Answer 5

January 27 th 1973

Question 6

how was a ceasefire declared in Vietnam?

Answer 6

Paris Peace Accords were signed stating the USA would withdraw all of its troops and South Vietnam would be granted the right to decide is own political future.

Question 7

how was vietnam eventually a failure for the USA?

Answer 7

In 1975, the Northern Vietnamese launched an attack on South Vietnam and by April,
Saigon was captured. The War was over and Vietnam was united under communist rule.

Question 8

significance: what was the cost of Vietnam?

Answer 8

• 58,000 Americans lost their lives
• estimated at around $180 billion.

Question 9

significance: how was Vietnam a failure of containment?

Answer 9

the failure of Containment in Asia. Vietnam was united under a communist government and Laos and Cambodia quickly fell.

Question 10

significance: how did Vietnam change the public’s opinion?

Answer 10

it caused an unwillingness to get involved in future conflicts.

Question 11

significance: what was the Nixon doctrine?

Answer 11

emerged from the USA’s experiences in Vietnam stating that the USA expected its allies to take care of their own military
defence in the future.

Question 12

significance: what policy with the USSR did Vietnam lead to?

Answer 12

Detente, which would focus on relaxing tensions between the superpowers.

Question 13

significance: how did Vietnam affect the USAs global position?

Answer 13

first time that the USA had lost a war

Question 14

significance: what policy changes did Vietnam lead to?

Answer 14

the War Powers Resolution was passed in 1973, which limited the president's ability to send troops into combat without congressional consent.
and the military draft ended

Question 15

significance: how did vietnam affect the US economy?

Answer 15

caused inflation and had also led to an increase in US employment by the mid-1970s.

Question 16

why did the USA chose to improve cold war tensions in the 1970s?

Answer 16

• to reduce military expenditure
• to limit the risk of nuclear war
• to take advantage of the worsening relations between the USSR and China.

Question 17

what policy approach did nixon adopt towards China?

Answer 17

Rapprochement

Question 18

what event started Rapprochement?

Answer 18

• when the US ping-pong team was invited to China in April 1971.

Question 19

what rapprochement event happened in February 1972?

Answer 19

Nixon, a staunch anti-communist, visited the People’s Republic of China.

Question 20

what policy approach did nixon adopt towards the USSR i n the early 1970s?

Answer 20

Détente

Question 21

what did Détente do?

Answer 21

allowed Nixon and his National Security Adviser (later Secretary of State), Henry Kissinger, were able to build the foundations for much improved relations with the USSR.

Question 22

where/when was the meeting that lead to SALT I?

Answer 22

A Summit Meeting held in Moscow in the summer of 1972

Question 23

what was the SALT I treaty?

Answer 23

it imposed limits on the nuclear capability of both countries. the number of submarine-launched missiles was limited to 740 for USSR and 656 for USA. However, no
limits were imposed on the development of new weapons systems e.g. cruise missiles. (benefit USA)

Question 24

when was SALT I signed?

Answer 24

26 th May 1972

Question 25

why was SALT I significant?

Answer 25

• the first instance of arms limitation agreement in the Cold War.
• important in establishing a working relationship

Question 26

what were the limitations of SALT I?

Answer 26

• it out major categories of weapons
• it did nothing to halt weapons production
• the number of nuclear weapons continued to increase during the Treaties 5 year existence.

Question 27

what was US involvement in Latin america in the 1970s?

Answer 27

• used clandestine (secret) power to undermine left-wing governments in South America.
• USA intervened in Chile after the communist ruler took power
• The USA limited economic aid to Chile and
  provided funds for opposition newspapers and spread misinformation to undermine
  Allende.
• In September 1973, the Chilean military overthrew the government