Vietnamization 1969
Notes
- Anti-war demonstrations became very popular in the U.S.
- President Nixon was elected in 1968 on a peace platform (Tricky Dicky)
- Nixon wanted 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.
Quote
No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now.
-Richard Nixon
-Richard Nixon
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 removed soldiers, he also bombed north Vietnam. This was costed the US billions of dollars and thousands of lives.