President Nixon's policies in Vietnam Flashcards
(19 cards)
When did Preliminary Peace talks begin in Paris?
May 1968
When was Operation Menu activated in Cambodia?
March 1969
When was the Nixon Doctrine announced?
July 1969
When was Vietnamisation announced to the US public?
November 1969
When did ARVN and US ground forces invade Cambodia?
April 1970- USA commited 20,000 ground troops
However, Nixon negated this through his announcement later that month that 150,000 US troops would be withdrawn from the South within a year
When did Nixon back the ARVN’s invasion of Loas?
February 1971- Operation Lam Son 719
When were there the lowest number of US troops in Vietnam since 1965?
June 1972
What were Nixon’s aims?
1) Peace with honour- amounted to ensuring that South Vietnam remained an independent, communist state
2) ‘Im not going to end up like LBJ. IM going to stop that war, fast’
How did Nixon try to achieve his aims?
1) Vietnamisation- withdrawal of US forces and replacement with South Vietnamese troops
2) Bombing of Cambodia and Laos
3) provision of resources eg troops payed more, equipment updated with the intro of the M-16 Armalite rifle, helicopters, planes
How quickly did ARVN troops grow with American support?
Increased in size from 82,000 in 1968 to one million by 1970
The impact of Vietnamisation
Advantages
- appeared to transform the South Vietnamese military into an effective fighting force
- ARVN resisted the Spring Offensive 1972
-US casualties decreased
Disadvantages
-The morale of the ARVN remained low, didn’t encourage patriotism.
-Relatively high casualty rates
-Made the ARVN dependent on the US
Overall: Had some positive outcomes domestically for Nixon but did little to achieve ‘peace with honour’ with the ARVN still being left weak
What were the aims of Operation menu and the invasion of Cambodia?
-sever the supply lines based on the Ho Chi Minh Trail
-Pressurise North Vietnam into diplomatic resolution
-compensate for the planned Vietnamisation programme
Why did Nixon get involved in Cambodia?
1) Feared a communist regime being established by the Khmer Rouge- this would undermine Vietnamisation because US forces would be needed to combat pro-North Cambodian assault
2) Felt that a show of force in Cambodia would reinforce his intention to prove to the North that the US were still commited to the South, putting them in a better position to negotiate
Impacts of extending the war to Cambodia
- Vietcong weren’t able to operate in Cambodia as successfully
-Large amounts of the Vietcong’s supplies and equipment were captured/destroyed
-No strategic gains were achieved - Any possibility of a major North Vietnamese offensive against the South was seriously undermined
-Increased the USA’s commitment- now safeguarding Lon Nol’s regime as well as the Saigon regime
-Opposition to the war at home increased- campus protests/shootings
What did the senate do in response to Cambodia?
In June, the US Senate voted to remove the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
What happened in Laos?
1) Nixon feared a major communist push in 1972
2) Felt disabling the Ho Chi Minh trail could delay this
3) Carried out an assault into Laos with South Vietnamese forces with US air support in February- Operation Lam Son 719
4) An inadequate force of 30,000 ARVN troops attacked and were forced to withdraw
What were the impacts of Laos?
1) Highlighted the weakness of the ARVN and it’s leadership
2) Showed that even with US air support the chances of beating the North were slim
How did Nixon change US policy towards China?
‘The artichoke approach’
1) July 1969 USA removed some trade controls and relaxed some travel restrictions towards China.
2) Used contacts such as France and Warsaw to encourage a better relationship
3) July 1971- Kissinger visited Beijing resulting in the agreement to establish a presidential visit and a Sino-American summit
How wasn’t the USA’s relationship with China successful
Failed to persuade China to pressurise North Vietnam into negotiations with the South
