Support for the Vietnam War Flashcards
What were the USAs reasons for the peace negotiations?
- Victory in Vietnam no longer seemed possible, especially after the Tet Offensive
- There was growing opposition to the war
- Congress was reluctant to finance the continuation of the war
- Nixon was keen to appear the peacemaker in Vietnam
What were the shared reasons between the USA and Vietnam for the peace negotiation?
- High numbers of dead and wounded
- Costs of the war
- The war could drag on for years to come
What was North Vietnams reasons for the peace negotiation?
- China and the USSR wanted Norrh Vietnam to make peace and might withdraw help
- North Vietnam was being bombed heavily
What did all countries have to accept Vietnam as, as the end of the war?
A single reunified country through independent negotiation
What was agreed between the US and Vietnam to be withdrawn at the end of the war?
All US troops, equipment, and advisers would be withdrawn and military bases removed
What did the US and Vietnam agree that the US could no lover intervene with?
They could no longer intervene in Vietnamese politics of military
What was agreed on how the new government for Vietnam would be chosen at the end of the war?
It would be chosen in fair and independent elections
What was the Paris Peace Agreement?
What was signed to end the war
When was the Paris Peace Agreement signed?
27 January 1973
Who signed the Paris Peace Agreement?
USA, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the Provisional Revolutionary government of Vietnam
How was the short term significance of the Paris Agreement?
It gave the USA an opportunity to withdraw from Vietnam
How did the Paris Peace Agreement fail?
- It failed to secure the future of an independent non communist South Vietnam
- South Vietnams economy failed (bad harvests, reduced US aid and investment)
- South Vietnamese government became more unpopular
- Vietcong became popular in village communities
- North Vietnam continued to want a united communist Vietnam
- They became impatient with the President of South Vietnam refusing to talk
- The resumed combat with South Vietnam in late 1974
- The South Vietnamese capital, Saigon, fell in April 1975
What happened after the fall of Saigon in 1975?
North and South Vietnam merged to form the socialist republic of Vietnam
How much did the war cost the US economy?
$167 billion
What did the expense of the war lead to for the US?
Cutbacks in federal spending on domestic issues and caused economic problems
