The Brezhnev Era, 1972-1985: the USA and SE Asia - Northern Victory

Question 1

Outline main events leading to Northern victory

Answer 1

•January 1973
• Paris Peace Agreement finalised
Revealed that president’s employees bugged Democrats’ offices in Watergate Hotel

• By end March 1973
- All US military forces withdrawn from South Vietnam

•August 1974
- Nixon resigns

• December 1974
- North Vietnamese assault showed Thieu’s regime doomed

• 21 April 1975
- Thieu resigns and flees from country

• 30 April 1975
- South Vietnam surrenders to North

Question 2

Paris Peace Agreement

Answer 2

• Ratified in January 1973
• US had to put pressure on Thieu to sign it
• Thieu understood this was the beginning of the end for South
Vietnam

Question 3

When was the Paris Peace Agreement finalised?

Answer 3

•January 1973

Question 4

Withdrawal of US troops

Answer 4

• US withdrawal and aid

• By end of March 1973, all US military forces were out of
Vietnam
• US promised aid including over $1 billion in armaments, giving
South Vietnam the world’s fourth largest air force

• North’s response to withdrawal

• Withdrawal led to the intensification of the North’s guerrilla campaign in the South
• North escalated their conventional forces after realising US wouldn’t intervene

• ARVN

•ARVN unable to cope with NLF’s hit-and-run tactics, further demoralising it
• Following North Vietnamese assault in December 1974, Thieu’s regime was doomed
• ARVN defeated on all occasions following this

Question 5

By what point had all US military forces been taken out of South Vietnam?

Answer 5

• By end of March 1973, all US military forces were out of Vietnam

Question 6

What aid did the US give following the withdrawal of troops?

Answer 6

• Over $1 billion in armaments
- Giving South Vietnam the world’s fourth largest air force

Question 7

At which North Vietnamese assault did it become clear that
Thieu’s regime was doomed?

Answer 7

• December 1974 assault

Question 8

Watergate

Answer 8

• In January 1973, it was revealed that the president’s employees had broken into and bugged the offices of the Democratic Party in the Watergate Hotel
• Court hearings revealed that Nixon was directly involved
• In August 1974, Nixon was forced to resign
• Nixon succeeded by Gerald Ford

Question 9

When was it revealed that president’s employees had bugged
Democrats’ offices?

Answer 9

•January 1973

Question 10

When did Nixon resign? Who was he succeeded by?

Answer 10

•August 1974
-Succeeded by Gerald Ford

Question 11

How did the US react to North Vietnam’s continuing success?

Answer 11

• Nothing
- US Congress rejected requests for US aid for the South

Question 12

When did Thieu resign as president and flee the country?

Answer 12

•21 April 1975

Question 13

When did South Vietnam surrender to the
North?

Answer 13

•30 April 1975