Nixon and Vietnam
- Created by: emily997
- Created on: 23-03-14 14:16
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- Nixon and approach
- Kissinger
- President's national security adviser from 1969
- 1973 = secretary of state
- Decided that the extent of US involvement was a mistake and US interests needed to be rationally considered
- Feb 1970 = 'our interests must shape our commitments'
- Nixon wanted 'peace with honour'
- Sino-Soviet split = breakdown of relations between China and USSR
- Difficulties with extricating USA from Vietnam
- Nixon = 2 advantages over Johnson, but still faced issue of making North Vietnamese make concessions
- 1) Serious weakening of Vietcong due to Tet Offensive in 1968
- 2) Possibility of improved relations with USSR and China and the pressure they might put on Hanoi; pressure was limited though.
- Conduct of war 1969-1973
- Troop levels peaked in April 1969 at 543,000
- Vietcong took advantage of anti-war movement and tried to maximise 'body bag count'
- In first 6 months of 1969, 8000 members of US forces killed
- Low morale = fragging and drug problem
- By 1971 69% of US troops claimed to have used marijuana
- Change in US military tactics
- small unit actions, increased control of countryside
- Phoenix program, CIA, William Colby
- Vietnamisation
- staged withdrawal of US forces and strengthening of those in South Vietnam
- Kissinger
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