Vietnamization
- Anti-war demonstrations became very popular in the U.S.
- President Nixon was elected in 1968 on a peace platform (Tricky Dicky)
- Nixon waned to find a way out honourably
- Developed Vietnamization with the help of Henry Kissinger and Henry Cabot-Lodge
- 1. Make the South well trained enough militarily that they could withstand the North on their own
- 2. Strengthen the South's government to attract a broader base
- American's began to make their first withdrawls in Aug. 1969
- The air war increased
- B-52's dropped more bombs on North Vietnam than during all of WWII
- 1971 almost entirely an air war
- 1972 200,000 troops
- Jan. 1973 a cease fire is signed (Americans got their POWs back after 20 years of fighting)
- Aug. 1973 all U.S. forces out of Vietnam
- Spring 1975 all of south Vietnam falls to the north and becomes Communist
- Costs the U.S. 150 billion dollars
- 57,939 men killed
- Loss of a country to Communism
- Limitations brought in on the President's powers to wage war (Vietnam never declared a war)
- Made the U.S. look bad worldwide
- Conscription was ended in U.S.
Interesting Fact
U.S. Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird (1922-) is the mastermind of Nixon’s Vietnamization strategy. He first used the term in March 1969 after a visit to South Vietnam.
Quote
"Tonight I do not tell you that the war in Vietnam is the war to end wars. But I do say this: I have initiated a plan which will end this war in a way that will bring us closer to that great goal to which Woodrow Wilson and every American President in our history has been dedicated the goal of a just and lasting peace."
-Richard M. Nixon
-Richard M. Nixon
Subjunctive Question
Did Vietnamization end up saving many lives?
Summary
The people of the US were very unhappy with what was going on in Vietnam. As a result to try to clam people, Nixon started Vietnamization. With this he intorduced two different plans to peacfully withdrawl the US out of the Vietnam War. Although he did take out the soldier, he also bombed north Vietnam. This was costed the US billions of dollars and thousands of lives.