3. Assessment of Nixon's Vietnam policy (I)
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 20-06-17 15:10
View mindmap
- 3. Assessment of Nixon's Vietnam policy (I)
- Why did Nixon take so long to get out of Vietnam
- Slow retreat
- Damaged morale of American forces in Vietnam
- Antogonised American anti-war activists
- Some argue created division, discontent and presidential paranoia that helped bring about Watergate scandal that cost Nixon the presidency
- However, Nixon believed American honour required North Vietnam's agreement Thieu would be left in power and SV left with a good chance of survival
- Why else had America fought at such a great cost of men and money
- Nixon wrote to Rogers: "We simply cannot tell the mothers of casualties and the soldiers who have spent part of their lives in Vietnam that it was all to no purpose"
- Convinced a first American defeat would lead to collapse of confidence in American leadership and to Communist expansion throughout the world
- Wanted peace but not at any price
- Took until late 1972 before NV agreed Thieu could remain in power
- Although withdrawal was painful, clearly many who understood what Nixon was trying to do sympathised with him.
- Like so many Americans, Nixon genuinely believed USSR and China posed threat to America and its allies:
- Given lack of political freedom in those two countries and Eastern Europe, those US fears were comprehensible and vital to understanding why America got out of Vt and insisted on getting out 'with honour'
- Although Kissinger and Nixon believed in détente, they thought it was dangerous if Soviets and Chinese thought America was weak - probably right
- Slow retreat
- Had Nixon gained peace with honour?
- Yes
- Nixon got American ground forces out without abandoning Saigon
- Forced Hanoi to agree Thieu could remain in power with world's fourth largest air force and improved ARVN
- On other hand:
- Nixon failed to get PAVN to withdraw
- Failed to nullify VC in SV
- By late 1972
- Knew Congress would cut off money early in 1973
- So he had to make peace on whatever terms he could get
- Thanks to 'mad bomber' and linkage tactics terms were probably better than he could have got in 1969
- However, they surely did not constitute peace with honour
- 'Exit with face saved' would have been more accurate phrase than peace with honour' opined Toronto Star
- Furthermore, Nixon had not really won peace for Indochina in January 1973
- Yes
- Why did Nixon take so long to get out of Vietnam
Comments
No comments have yet been made