why did the USA withdraw from Vietnam in 1972

Question 1

why did the USA withdraw from Vietnam in 1973 (6)

Answer 1

1- growing anti-war movement in US

2- stalemate on battlefield

3- economic strain

4- international pressure

5- negotiations and peace agreement

6- shifting US foreign policy

Question 2

What was Nixon’s approach to the US withdrawal from Vietnam?

Answer 2

• key policy was Vietnamisation, introduced in 1969, and was the idea that training from US forces would enable the South Vietnamese army (ARVN) to become self-sufficient in fighting the Vietcong, meaning Nixon could bring American troops home.
• He used his political experience to encourage the South Vietnamese government to reach a compromise with North Vietnam. He also used improved relationships with the USSR and China to persuade them to pressure Ho Chi Minh to bring an end to the war.
• He increased the bombing of North Vietnam and expanded the targets to include Vietcong supply routes in Cambodia and Laos. He hoped this would force Ho Chi Minh to the negotiating table and bring an end to the war.

Question 3

how many troops were withdreawn from vietnam in june 1969 as part of vietnamisation

Answer 3

25,000

Question 4

What did Nixon promise to South Vietnam once the US had withdrawn?

Answer 4

While Nixon was committed to America’s withdrawal from Vietnam, he still firmly believed in the Domino Theory. In order to ensure South Vietnam did not fall to communism once the USA had left, he promised it support with money and weapons.

Question 5

when did Saigon fall to communism

Answer 5

april 1975

Question 6

what year did combat troops withdraw

Answer 6

1972

Question 7

When did the US stop sending airforce and supplies

Answer 7

1973

Question 8

what was the tet offensive

Answer 8

a set of attacks in january 1968

Question 9

What happened during the Tet Offensive?

Answer 9

The Tet Offensive was a significant turning point in the Vietnam War. The US government had told the public it was doing well in its fight against the Vietcong and would soon be able to bring the war to an end. However, just months later, the North Vietnamese and the Vietcong launched a series of major attacks in South Vietnam.

Question 10

Where did the Tet Offensive happen?

Answer 10

Hundreds of towns, cities and military bases were attacked during the Tet Offensive, along with General Westmoreland’s base and the US embassy building, both in Saigon.

Question 11

What was General Westmoreland’s role in the Tet Offensive?

Answer 11

General Westmoreland was the commander of the US Army in Vietnam. He played a key role in the Tet Offensive as the attacks caught him off guard. Months earlier he had presented the view to Congress that the war was going well.

Question 12

Why did the Tet Offensive happen? (2)

Answer 12

The Vietcong and North Vietnamese government hoped it would win them support from the South Vietnamese against the Americans, inspiring them to get rid of the current government and force the Americans from the country.

They hoped a decisive victory against the Americans would attract media attention in the USA, weakening support from the war from its citizens.

Question 13

Why was the USA shocked by the Tet Offensive?

Answer 13

The US government and media had given Americans the impression they were winning the war. The Tet Offensive changed public opinion, as many began to see the reality.

Question 14

who was walter cronkite

Answer 14

news reporter that everyone in america loved and trusted

Question 15

What were the failures of the Tet Offensive for the Vietcong?

Answer 15

Militarily, the Tet Offensive was a defeat for the Vietcong and North Vietnam. They lost thousands of soldiers, and the USA re-took all cities, towns and bases.

Question 17

What were the successes of the Tet Offensive for the Vietcong?
(3)

Answer 17

They had shown they could strike at any moment, and could take key cities and bases.

❖The events were shown across US television, and the public saw the chaos and destruction. Americans now came to realise that, despite the clear advantage American military should have had, they were proving to be no match to the Vietcong’s guerrilla tactics.

❖The American public started to turn against President Johnson and the USA’s involvement in the Vietnam War. This was one of the Vietcong’s aims.

Question 18

what was walter cronkite reffered to

Answer 18

Mr middle america

Question 19

what did walter cronkite do following the tet offensive

Answer 19

made a report in feb, 1968, saying there was no way they were going to win the war, and it was important to make a peace agreement and stop the fighting

Question 20

how was wlaters report of 1968 important to end the war

Answer 20

it ultimately made up the minds of the american public and brought about the start of the end of the war

Question 21

2 main reasons america withdraws

Answer 21

• aren’t winning militarily
• don’t have support of their own public

Question 22

during this period, america was going through a period of ?

Answer 22

hippy, peace movements, feminism, anti-racism

Question 23

what was the may lai massacre

Answer 23

American troops went to the village of My Lai to search for Vietcong. The American troops killed and abused over 500 women, children and old men.

Question 24

When did the My Lai Massacre happen?

Answer 24

1968, not long after the Tet offensive

Question 25

where did My lai massacre happen

Answer 25

village called My Lai, in south Vietnam

Question 26

why did the My Lai massacre happen

Answer 26

US soldiers were on search and destroy mission, because there was a report saying that there were a base of vietcong fighters in My Lai village, and that the villagers were helping them, aiding them with food, shelter and weapons, so Charlie Company was sent to burn it all.

Question 27

how was the My Lai massacre covered up

Answer 27

the government announced they had only killed around 100 vietcong soldiers, however, some soldiers and inhabitants reported what actually happened the army tried to cover it all up, but one soldier (Ronald Ridenhour) made an eye witness account public, and wrote more than 30 letters to military and politicians. the account arrived to general westmorland who ordered an inquiry the army then admitted to 20 accidental civilian deaths

Question 28

What were the consequences of the My Lai Massacre? (3)

Answer 28

- strengthened the peace movement in America, people were repulsed by the atrocities committed by Charlie Company and questioned the morality of US involvement in the Vietnam war - Due to the cover up of the massacre, people distrusted the government and the army. They did not believe they were being told the full truth about the war - The massacre led to further investigations and, in 1971, it was found over a third of US troops were addicted to drugs. It was clear morale was at an all-time low

Question 29

who were the leaders of the peace movements back in america

Answer 29

mostly students because they were at college, and so didn't need to go to war

Question 30

how was racial inequality involved in the Vietnam war (2)

Answer 30

black Americans were 30% more likely to be drafted in the war than white Americans black Americans would be sent first to do the hardest jobs (in war)

Question 31

was anti war music also common

Answer 31

yes

Question 32

were the awful strategies also published on the newspaper

Answer 32

yes

Question 33

within the growing anti-war movement in the US there were 4 things that added to this, what were they?

Answer 33

1- public opinion shift: increasing negative media coverage due to tet offensive and mylai massacre as well as high number of casualties fuelled the anti-war movements in US 2- protests and demonstrations ( mass protests, often involving students and veterans, put immense pressure on the gov. to end the war (created a politically unstable situation)) 3- erosion of support (as the war became increasingly unpopular, it divided the nation and weakened the govs ability to continue fighting 4-massacre of vietnamese civillians which made US look very bad

Question 34

stalemate on battlefield (what increased the lowering of morale) (4)

Answer 34

1- no clear victory (despite the massive firepower, the US military was never able decisively beat the Vietcong and NV forces due to guerilla warfare) 2- high casualties ( the number of high american casualties with no end to the war in sight fueled the anti-war sentiment) 3- morale problems ( frustration and disapointment among soldiers, along with reports of atrocitiesled to declining morale and discipline in the US military 4- successful Tet offensive was embarrassing for USA

Question 35

what made the economic strain (2)

Answer 35

- the cost of the war (it diverted resources from domestic programs and contributed to inflation) - budget deficits ( the massive war spending led to significant budget cuts which weakened the economy)

Question 36

what 2 international pressures did it face

Answer 36

- global criticism (international condemnation for its involvement in war, particularly due to civillian casualties and use of controversial tactics) - isolation (The war isolated the US making their relations with allies worse and damaging its reputation)

Question 37

how was US policy shifting and how did it help America leave Vietnam (2)

Answer 37

- Détente (the US was beginning to shift its focus towards easing tensions with the Soviet union and cold war. Ending the Vietnam war was seen as necessary for this - Nixon doctrine (This doctrine emphasized that the US would provide support to allies but would not directly intervene in future conflicts to the same extent as Vietnam)

Question 38

how did negotiations and peace agreements help Nixon leave Vietnam (2)

Answer 38

- the paris peace accords (negotiated by Henry Kissinger, they provided a framework for the US to leave as well as a ceasefire but it was fragile and ultimately failed to secure lasting peace) - peace with honour (Nixon's promise of peace with honour allowed the US to withdraw without being defeated, saving face politically

Question 39

did fighting continue after the paris peace conference

Answer 39

between S and N Vietnam yes, but America withdrew

Question 40

why was the tet offensive a victory for the Vietcong if militarily, america won?

Answer 40

because they were able to hold Saigon for 2 days, and before then everyone in america thought they were winning, but this proved that actually they weren't doing so well and made them look weak

Question 41

what was the biggest consequence of the tet offensive for America

Answer 41

the media changed from a positive view of winning the war, to a negative view of losing