Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
The Ending of the Conflict in Vietnam - Part One by Ela Nicholson -…
The Ending of the Conflict in Vietnam - Part One
by Ela Nicholson
Nixon's War
He was elected in November 1968, promising the war would continue until 'peace with honour' could be achieved.
Peace talks had begun in Paris in May 1968 but little progress was being made as neither side would compromise.
This influenced his policy towards Vietnam.
The USA would not agree to a united Vietnam and the North would only agree to a united Vietnam.
Richard Nixon campaigned to become President in 1968; this was at a time when the war in Vietnam was becoming increasingly unpopular.
Nixon adopted a policy of 'Vietnamisation' - gradual withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam.
Relations with China under Nixon
At this time, USA were keen to improve relations with Communist China (Mao Zedong still in charge but in his 80s).
Relations between China and USSR had worsened.
After this, relations between the USA and the USSR had been slowly improving (detente - easing of tensions and more constructive discussions between them.
Nixon visited China in February 1972 and the Soviet Union in May 1972.
Nixon and Henry Kissinger (US Secretary of State) were dealing with Vietnam after a time of tensions in the Cold War - Berlin Wall (1961) and Cuban Missile Crisis (1963).
Nixon knew this situatiion woud help the USA negotiate a ceasefire.
Vietnamisation
The US would train ARVN forces.
As the ARVN grew, the US left - 25,000 in 1969 and 400,000 had gone by 1971.
They were replaced by the ARVN (South Vietnamese army) which was made up of South Vietnamese men: everyone aged 17-43 was forced to join.
The policy was bound to fail as the ARVN were no match for the army in the North (North was getting help from China and USSR).
From 1969, Nixon began to withdraw US troops.
The new President of South Vietnam was also suspicious of the policy.
This meant letting the South Vietnam government take everything over so they do not have to rely on the USA.
In September 1969, the USA started direct secret peace talks with the North (Van Thieu was left out of the discussions).
Invasion of Cambodia and Laos, 1970-1971
The USA then proceeded to bomb Laos.
The invasion failed - after 6 weeks, troops withdrew (half were killed or wounded).
In 1971, the USA supported an invasion of Laos by the South Vietnamese (to block the Ho Chi Minh trail).
North Vietnam refused to go to all peace talks until US troops left Cambodia.
US troops were dropping; at the end of 1971 there were only 140,000 left in the country (400,000 had been pulled out in 3 years).
In 1970, the USA invaded Cambodia to put pressure on North Vietnam (they claimed it was to destroy Vietcong bases there).
The remaining US troops left in Vietnam became demoralised; they deserted, went AWOL (absent without leave), and fell into habits of drug and alcohol abuse.
US Bombing Campaigns, 1970-1972
In April 1972, he ordered the Air Force to bomb the North.
Codenamed 'Operation Linebacker', this campaign caused great destruction in the North; destroying ports (Haiphong), roads, railways, and storage depots.
Nixon knew he had to respond and put pressure on the North.
Nixon hoped to cut off supplies and persuade the North to give up on invasion.
An easy victory as expected as so many US troops had been withdrawn.
This renewed bombing campaign was met with disapproval from the USA and the rest of the world.
In March 1972, the North invaded the South using Soviet weapons (100 tanks).
At Christmas 1972, a massive US bombing campaign targeting the North lasted for 11 days and 200,000 bombs were dropped on cities.
These bombing raids continued as troops were being withdrawn - by 1970, only 150,000 US troops were still there.
In January 1973, peace talks resumed.
The US continued to bomb the North as the talks went on.
Peace talks were held in Paris from 1968 and lasted for 5 years.