Nixon Doctrine And Withdrawal Of US Troops Flashcards
What did Nixon want?
To get USA out of war without S. Vietnam becoming communist
Why did Nixon promise to tell the truth and explain his policies?
He saw the opposition to US troops in Vietnam and knew people were angry at Johnson for lying about the war (‘Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?’)
What were Nixon’s approaches to Vietnam war?
. Official peace talks
. Secret peace talks
. Troop withdrawals
. ARVN training
. Secret bombing of Cambodia
What were Nixon’s peace talks?
Sent delegates to Paris to negotiate peace with representatives from N+S Vietnam and VC. It became clear the talks would take a long time as the delegates argued over seating arrangements
What were Nixon’s secret peace talks?
August 1969, Henry Kissinger (USA) had talks with Le Duc Tho (N. Vietnam) which public and S. Vietnamese didn’t know about
How did Nixon do troop withdrawals?
June 1969, he lowered max US troops in Vietnam by 25,000
Troops began to withdraw in July
How did Nixon structure ARVN training?
Military in North Vietnam were told to focus on training ARVN troops and officers
What was the secret bombing on Cambodia?
15th March 1969, through Cambodia parts of Ho Chi Minh trail. Reports lied about bombing raids as Nixon knew this expanding of war would be unpopular
What did Nixon do on 25th July 1969?
Gave speech outlining the Nixon Doctrine
What was the Nixon Doctrine?
Role of USA in future of Southeast Asia politics
What were features of the Nixon Doctrine?
. USA would honour any treaty commitments made
. USA would help allies against nuclear threat
. USA would provide aid and training against non-nuclear threats, but not troops
. The country under threat had to provide own ground troops
