Nixon and The Vietnam War
- Created by: Caprice254
- Created on: 13-05-14 18:24
View mindmap
- Nixon and The Vietnam War
- Henry Kissinger National security adviser 1969 - Secretary of state 1973
- 1969 Nixon faced an unsupportive public who wanted to focus on domestic issues and cut military spending rather than be the 'policeman'
- Nixon realised reducing Americas commitments to South Vietnam was key to addressing these problems
- Wanted 'Peace with Honour'
- Sino-Soviet split
- Nixon hoped he could play the USSR and China against each other
- Nixon followed a policy of 'Linkage'
- Did not want Russia and China to be friends as they would out number him
- Troop levels remained high in 1969 and peaked in April at 543,000
- Viet Cong now aimed to maximize the number of US deaths as it was a powerful piece of propaganda in the US
- In the first 6 months of 1969, 8000 US soldiers were killed
- Morale was low within the US forces and there was multiple cases of enlisted soldiers attempting murder officers
- 'Phoenix Program'
- Secret programme to disrupt the enemy
- Trained US and South Vietnamese Commandos captured, tortured and assassinated suspected Viet Cong leaders and organisers
- 1968 - 1972, 20,000 were killed and 18,000 were converted
- US Press found out in 1972 and the programme was stopped
- Military strategy: Vietnamisation
- Withdraw US forces and strengthen South Vietnam forces
- Desertion rates still remained high
- Withdraw US forces and strengthen South Vietnam forces
- Attempts to block the flow of supplies to the NVA by blocking the Ho Chi Minh trail
- Involved increased bombing of Laos and Cambodia and resulted in Nixon deciding to cross into Cambodia in April 1970
- Stirred up a storm with the public and Congress who attempted to stop any similar actions
- Involved increased bombing of Laos and Cambodia and resulted in Nixon deciding to cross into Cambodia in April 1970
- Peaceful protests continued opposing the war
- However it was the opposition in congress that caused major problems as the number of senators and congressmen opposing the war grew considerably
- Nixon managed to be re-elected in 1972 despite the current situation
- From August 1969 Kissenger was involved in secret talks with North Vietnam
- Breakthrough in 1972 when the North Vietnam offensive failed and it was clear that Nixon would be continuing as president
- North Vietnamese decided they could accept Thieu in power at a ceasefire
- Thieu felt too many concessions had been made
- North Vietnamese decided they could accept Thieu in power at a ceasefire
- North Vietnamese walked out of talks on the 12th December 1972
- Nixon launched massive bombing attacks on the North to get them back
- Operation Linebacker II (Bombing Campaign)
- 15 US planes shot down but the North Vietnamese returned to the talks
- Operation Linebacker II (Bombing Campaign)
- Nixon improved relations with China to prevent intervention
- Nixon launched massive bombing attacks on the North to get them back
- Agreement reached on the 13th January
- Resulted in a ceasefire on the 27th January 1973
- Breakthrough in 1972 when the North Vietnam offensive failed and it was clear that Nixon would be continuing as president
Comments
No comments have yet been made