President Nixon's policies in Vietnam

Question 1

Vietnamisation

Answer 1

• Nixon had bought Johnson’s Americanisation policy to an end
• This was the withdrawal of US forces and their replacements are South Vietnamese forces hoping this would strengthen own political security
• Nixon wanted NV to negotiate and to do this reintroduced bombing and invasion of Cambodia and Laos
• More resources were poured into ARVN with the M-16 rifle
• Increase in other weapons, vehicles, planes and helicopters
• 1968 ARVN increased from 80,000 to nearly a million in 1970

Question 2

US Troops in Vietnam

Answer 2

June 1969 - 540,000
January 1972 - 155,000
June 1972 - 47,000

Question 3

Impact of Vietnamisation

Answer 3

• 1972 NV launched Spring offensive ARVN resisted offense had 8000 casualties
• ARVN supported by bombing campaign Operation Linebacker I saw 150,000 tonnes of bombs dropped on NV
• Issue was ARVN relied on US but now they are dependant
• Continued corruption but this time to the Thieu regime and was loyalty rather than ability
• US troop deaths declined

Question 4

Khmer Rogue

Answer 4

• Communist party in Cambodia
• 1975 became ruling party
• 1979 implemented social engineering policies
• Enforced self sufficiency and random execution saw nearly all the educated wiped out in a genocide

Question 5

Cambodia

Answer 5

• Nixon launched campaign into Cambodia 1969
• Operation Menu bombing offensive designed to targets the parts that the NV were using.
• March 1970 Prince Norodom overthrown by pro-US General Lon Nol US backed his movement
• Khmer Rogue lead by Pol Pot was communist opposition
• Communist control would undermine Vietnamisation
• April 1970 US committed 20,000 troops into Cambodia later that month 150,000 troops would be withdrawn from Sv

Question 6

What was the hope for Operation Menu

Answer 6

• Sever the supply lines based on Ho Chi Minh trail
• Pressure NV into a peace settlement with SV
• Compensate for the planned Vietnamisation programme so retain confidence and commitment

Question 7

Consequences of going into Cambodia

Answer 7

• Ability of Vietcong to operate in Cambodia was undermined as large ares of jungle destroyed
• Large amounts of Vietcong supplies were captured or destroyed
• NV had lost lots in Cambodia so SV better chance
• NV moved deeper into Cambodia and strengthened support for Pol Pot committed US to supporting Lon Nol
• Opposition to the war back home had increased

Question 8

Laos

Answer 8

• Nixon feared communist push in 1972
• It was carried out by ARVN troops with US air support
• Operation Lam Son 719
• 30,000 ARVN troops attacked but forced to withdrwal
• ARVN more interested in pleasing Thieu than winning so 3,000 casualties and then retreated

Question 9

Relations with China

Answer 9

• Sino-Soviet split occurred on late 1960s
• First move in July 1969 when he removed some trade controls and relaxed some travel restrictions
• Early 1970 some diplomatic Sino-US relations had been formed at Warsaw
• Zhou Enlai also achieved major victory over those who disagreed with the relations with the US
• July 1971 Kissinger visited Beijing as it established a Sino-US meeting in early 1972
• October 1971 Kissinger made second visit but failed to persuade China to get NV to agree to peace

Question 10

Beginning of Paris Peace Talks

Answer 10

• Clack Clifford (Johnson’s Secretary of Defence) was negotiations to bring Vietnam to an end
• May 1968 talks start
• But sooned stalled over US bombing campaigns
• Early talks were also prompted by March 1968 Hanoi’s forces still on defensive after Tet
• February 1970 Kissinger met secretly with Le Duc Tho special adviser to NV and inisited should be coalition government with Vietcong representatives
• May 1971 talks stalled
• Turning point reached in October 1972