Vietnamisation

Question 1

When did Nixon lift the exemption of students from the draft?

Answer 1

1969

Question 2

When was Kent State University protest?

Answer 2

4 May 1970

Question 3

Outcome of Kent State Uni Protest

Answer 3

4 people were killed by National Guardsmen who fired into a crowd of student protesters

Question 4

When were the Pentagon Papers released?

Answer 4

June 1972

Question 5

What were the Pentagon Papers?

Answer 5

Revealed how American admins had lied to the public, ignored international agreements, manipulated Saigon regimes and misled Congress.

Question 6

What decisions was Nixon left with following the release of the Pentagon Papers?

Answer 6

Nixon now lost any ground to continue the Vietnam War - he now had the only option to gain a negotiated settlement.

Question 7

What was Nixon and Henry Kissinger’s tactic?

Answer 7

Pressure China and the USSR with trade and arms agreements.

Question 8

What did Nixon need to do with China?

Answer 8

Recognise the PRC

Question 9

How did Nixon apply pressure to Hanoi and what was this theory known as?

Answer 9

Allowed Hanoi to believe Nixon was capable of resorting to the use of nuclear weapons if angered, frightening them into coming to the bargaining table.
- Madman Theory

Question 10

What was Vietnamisation?

Answer 10

Removal of US forces and implementation of South Vietnamese to convince North they were safe and showed the US was willing to withdraw

Question 11

What was the aim of Vietnamisation?

Answer 11

Aimed at encouraging N. Vietnam to negotiate

Question 12

Troop count in June 1969 compared to June 1972

Answer 12

1969 - 543,000
1972 - 47,000

Question 13

Under Vietnamisation how did the ARVN increase in number of troop 1968 vs 1970?

Answer 13

82,000 to one million

Question 14

Impact of Vietnamisation on S.V army

Answer 14

• Transform the S Vietnamese military into a fierce force and preserve stability in S Vietnam

Question 15

What and when was the first test of Vietnamisation?

Answer 15

1972
- Spring offensive launched by N.V

Question 16

Outcome of Spring Offensive for ARVN and N.V troops

Answer 16

• ARVN resisted and faced 8000 causalities
• North faced nearly 5x this number

Question 17

How was ARVN still supported by USA and effect on them?

Answer 17

US bombing campaign (Operation Linebacker) with 150,000 tons of bombs and this boosted their morale whilst showing the USA had not abandoned

Question 18

When and what was Operation Linebacker?

Answer 18

May - October 1972
- Bombing campaign from US and 150,000 tons of bombs dropped on N.V

Question 19

Why was Vietnamisation a facade in regards to ARVN and S.V?

Answer 19

• Made the ARVN dependent on the US and it remained a force fighting a political war rather than a physical war
• Officers were selected on the basis of their loyalty to the Thieu regime rather than ability
• US casualties declined but those of the ARVN increased and level of desertions was high amongst ARVN troops
• ARVN remained an ineffective fighting force

Question 20

What type of positives did Nixon gain from Vietnamisation?

Answer 20

Domestically

Question 21

Who was Nguyen Van Thieu?

Answer 21

Leader of S. Vietnam from 1967 until the fall of Saigon in 1975

Question 22

What was the objective of the Accelerated Pacification Campaign?

Answer 22

Objective of expanding Government control over 1,200 villages currently controlled by the VietCong

Question 23

Who controlled the Accelerated Pacification Campaign and for how long?

Answer 23

William Colby and 90 days

Question 24

Overview of Accelerated Pacification Campaign

Answer 24

• Increased the security of the rural south and - - Rural development teams handed over local control to local councils, offered amnesties and land reform
• Repair bridges/houses etc
• But the security depended on US forces rather than Thieu’s regime, which did not gain popularity and remained corrupt.