‘ The Most Sig US Escaltion In SEA Between 1963-72 Took Place Under President Nixon Not President Johnson’

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

The most significant US escalation in SEA between 1963-72 took place under president nixon not president johnson. There are multiple grounds to consider such as Nixon, Johnson and Kennedy. However, if we were to assess which president expanded us involvement in SEA (not just Vietnam), destabilised the region and increased the number of casualties and fatalities in the war, then undeniably it was president nixon. We have to recognise the significance of Johnson because he Americanised the war, destabilised the region and endorsed westmorelnad’s indiscriminate killings, but these bombing campaigns lacked a presence in the rest of SEA because it was mainly contained within Vietnam. Likewise, Kennedy destabilised the region by withdrawing support from diem, but us involevemnt in Vietnam was a limited capacity and there was no Americanisation under his presidency during the war. Therefore, it was president Nixon who escalated us involvemnt in SEA because of his ‘incursions’ in Cambodia and Laos which destabilised both countries, and had significant moral and human ramifications in the long term as it paved the way for the Cambodian genocide.

Question 2

Nixon

Answer 2

Wanted peace with honour
Vietnamisation - wanted to position himself as a mad man to strengthen the negotiating position of the USA and force the north into submission. Led to reintroduction of bombing campaigns in Cambodia called operation menu which saw about 214 tons of bombs dropped over Cambodia, which destabilised the region and paved the way for pol pot to come into leadership and the genocide which killed about 3 million people. Bombed HCM trials, the cornerstone of the strength of the VC and NV suffered losses. Operation Lamson 719 as an ‘incursion’ (euphemism for war) to contain communism. This invasion simply spurred the north on to an offensive rather than defensive position, did not de-escalate the situation.

CA- there was a de-Americanisation of the war in Vietnam bc Nixon announced that 150,000 us troops would be withdrawn from SV. The series of coups in Cambodia destabilised the region e.g prince Norodom Sihanouk and General Lon Nol paved the way for the Khmer Rouge. No clear battle lines in the Vietnam war under Johnson which Nixon could be capitalising on to strengthen negotiating position to achieve peace with honour by bombing Laos and Cambodia.

Nonetheless, it is true that Nixon expanded the war to Laos and Cambodia which consequently led to the domino theory taking place in SEA, destabilising it and increased the human costs through bombing the HCM trials. Despite the gulf of Tonkin resolution removed, Nixon was determined not to lose the war so he kept pushing forward

Question 3

LBJ

Answer 3

Gulf of Tonkin
Operation rolling thunder
Search and destroy
My lai massacre

CA- battle of hue- nv killing people on their way out.
Mainly contained in Vietnam

Question 4

Kennedy

Answer 4

Withdrew support from diem during the Buddhist crisis
Led to coup which encouraged sv to plan a coup= destabilised

CA- Buddhist crisis bc of diem