the 1970s Flashcards
Build up to the Paris Peace Agreement
By 1972 it had become apparent to the USA and to the NV that their objectives could not be fulfilled through military means. Thieu however remained adamant to keep US military in the country. Talks began in July 1972. Progress was made by September 1972 when American diplomats suggested that US suppourt for Thieu was not fixed and the NV indicated that they would consider a coalition goverment would include representatives from the NLF.
In October 1972 an agreement was made.
The Paris Peace agreement 1973
In October, an agreement was reached. The following terms were agreed upon:
-a ceasefire would begin in Jan 1973
-each sides forces would keep the areas they controlled at the time of the ceasefire
-within 60 days the USA would withdraw its forces and POWs would be exchanged
-a commission would be set up to consider the introduction of free elections in a post-war SV and the ability of the SV to decide their own political future.
-free elections would consider the possibility of the eventual reunification of Vietnam as a single state.
Thieu was appalled at the agreement. Nixon was still inisiting upon the idea of “peace with honour” but would not take action until after the November 1972 presidential elections. After he won a landslide victory, he renewed US military efforts, hoping to reassure Thieu and send a warning to the North Vietnamese that the US would not abandon its ally.
what did Nixon do in Dec 1972
In December 1972, Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi and all other important northern cities in what ended up being the heaviest bombing of the entire Vietnam war. This caused international condemnation of US actions and Nixon approval rating fell to 32% in the USA.
When were all military forces out of Vietnam?
US military forces were out of Vietnam by the end of March 1973, leaving only essential civilian personnel and military advisers, most of whom left by the end of summer of 1973.
The USA promised to provide military and economic aid to SV that included over $1 billion in arnaments giving SV the worlds fourth largest air force.
The Watergate scandal
In Jan 1973, it had been revealed that the Presidents employees had broken into and bugged the offices of the Democratic Party in the Watergate Hotel. The rest of the year was consumed with court hearings. In Aug 1974 he was forced to resign. he was succeeded by Gerald Ford, who ultimately oversaw a foreign policy that led to the collapse of SV.
How did the North secure a victory?
The North Vietnamese continued their guerilla activities and escalated their conventional forces when they realised that the USA were not going to intervene. Following a NV assault in December 1974, Thieus regime was doomed. The NV had expected the civil war to continue on for years but the continuous Northern Victories demoralised the South. The Americans were startled by the quick advances of the North but US congress rejected any requests for US aid to the South. On 2nd April 1974, Thieu resigned as President and fled teh country.
On 30th April 1975 South Vietnam surrendered to the North. The North had achieved their aims of a unified socialist Vietnam.
Costs of the Vietnam war to the USA
-Over 58,000 Americans died in the war and 2.7 million Americans served which amounted to 9% of the population at the time. The veterans that served were brutalised by either the physical or mental affects of the war and Guerrilla warfare and many came back with drug addictions.
-A bitter debate was left in the USA regarding the 100,000 men who had left the USA to avoid conscription. In his inauguration speech on 21st Jan 1977 Jimmy Carter (succeeded Ford) announced his intention to give amnesty to all draft dodgers which caused controversy.
-The estimated cost of the war was $167 billion which caused the government to not have money to invest in social or domestic affairs. After being elected in 1964 Johnson announced his reforms however although more civil rights legislation wads passed in his presidency than any other, his presidency was characterised by the Vietnam war.
-Foreign policy and the containment strategy. The loss of SV implied a threat to South East Asia through the domino effect which ultimately did occur as Laos and Cambodia also fell to communism. Without Indochina, the South East Asia Treaty Organisation lost its relevance and was disbanded in 1976.
costs of the Vietnam war on Vietnam
-Numbers killed in the war range from 1.3 to 9 million killed in all hostilities. Civilian hostilities are estimated to be around 250,000 even as the population of Vietnam in 1975 was 48 million.
-From 1975, Vietnam faced hostility from the USA. President Ford opposed Vietnams entry into the UN and isolated Vietnam from the international community. Ford also placed a trade embargo on Vietnam which affected Vietnams economic growth.
-Vietnams infrastructure: during the conflict the USA dropped 643,000 tons on NV and 700,000 tons on SV, causing massive destruction of agricultural land. Operation Ranch hand , agent orange and napalm also poisoned over 6 million acres of SV land.
-Nixons promise of reparations never arrived. US congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973 which gave congress the right to declare war and prevented Presidents from acting without consent of congress.
-About 1.5 million Vietnamese people left Vietnam with 2/3 going to the USA.
The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty 26th May 1972- SALT
The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty limited both the USSR and the USA to constructing two fields of ABMs each with no more than 100 missiles. One of these could be set up around a capital city whilst the other was to protect Intercontinental Ballistic Missile sites.
This significantly restricted the strategic value of ABMs and meant that there would be no more competition to further ABM defence technology. The ABM treaty did show that both the superpowers recognised the others destructive power and therefore had a mutual interest in preventing mutually destructive conflict.
The Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive arms 26 May 1972- SALT
This agreement effectively linked strategic offensive and defensive arm agreements. It complimented the ABM treaty and established a freeze on strategic missiles. This amounted to:
-1054 ICBMs for the USA and 1618 for the USSR.
-656 SLBMs for the USA and 740 for the USSR.
-450 strategic bombers and 140 for the USSR.
This agreement was to remain valid for five years. It made no provisions for limitations on newly developing technology such as MIRVs. This agreement was only interim and was due to expire in 1977.
why were the SALT talks politically beneficial to Breznhev and Nixon
It reinforced the political advantages to be gained by national leaders if they backed policies that created greater stability and the prospects of international peace. SALT produced more than merely an arm limitation agreement. It was the foundation of a political achievement that made détente possible. SALT opened the way for an era of negotiation rather than confrontation.
what was the Moscow Summit 1972?
It acted as a code of behaviour in terms of the relations the two powers had with eachother. There were 12 principles included but the most significant were:
-It was agreed that the powers were committed to normal relations based on the principles of sovereignty, equality, mutual advantage and non interference.
-the second principle focused on determination to avoid situations developing that could damage the commitment to peaceful coexistence.
-in the third principle there was an acceptance of a special responsibility to do everything in their power to prevent conflicts to arise that could hinder international security and cause international tension.
However, these Basic Principles had no legal status and everything depended upon each side abiding by guidelines. This represented a set of aspirations rather than a solid basis for the future of detente.
Intervention in Angola
The Portuguese had maintained the colonies of Mozambique but had been fighting Angolan nationalists since the 1960s. The war had been long and costly so it was not surprising that in April 1974, after the right wing government in Lisbon was overthrown that the newly installed leftists promised independence to Angola. To try and streamline the independence movement, the Portuguese created a coalition government made up on the MPLA, FNLA and UNITA with the goal of having them move Angola to full independence in 1975.
-Foreign intervention began in June 1974 when the Chinese sent 120 military advisers to the FLNA and in January 1975 the USA $300,000 in covert funding to the FNLA. Cuba also sent military instructors to support the MPLA. In the Spring of 1975 a civil war erupted and in July 1975 Kissinger persuaded President Gerald Ford to send £25 million in supplies and $16 million in arms o the FLNA. In October 1975, the FNLA supported by South African forces advanced towards the capital Launda. By late 1976, there were about 12,000 Cuban troops supporting the MPLA and these significantly aided the MPLA in reaching their final victory by March 1976. The MPLA proclaimed the creation of the Peoples Republic of Angola (PRA) as early as November 1975, although it was not formally recognised by other states until Feb 1976 through the Organisation of Africa Unity.
In December 1975 what did Kissinger acknowledge that the USA and China had regarding Angola?
In December 1975, Kissinger acknowledged that China and the USA had “parallel” views on Angola but there was no “coordinated” joint action taking place in Angola.
Intervention in Ethiopia?
After WW2, the British unintentionally set the stage for conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia when it awarded the traditionally Somali territory of Ogaden to Ethiopia. This caused Somali to invade Ogaden in July 1977. In 1974, the Ethiopian Emperor Selassie had been overthrown by Colonel Mengistu who established a Marxist Leninist dictatorship. Colonel Mengistu believed that he could appeal to both the USSR and Cuba for support on ideological grounds after the Somali invasion, even though the Soviet Union were supporting the Somali government at the time. The Soviets withdrew their support for the Somalian regime and, after some initial uncertainty, Castro decided in November 1977 to assist revolutionary movements by sending troops to Ethiopia.
By February 1978, there was approx 15,000 Cuban soldiers in Ethiopia. In March, the conflict ended when the Somali troops retreated and a truce was announced.
