The Vietnam war

1. 29.4 The War Ends The Vietnam war

2. Winning the War • During his campaign, Nixon promised he would end the Vietnam War • Along with National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger, he devised plans to fulfill this promise • In 1969, Kissinger began secret peace negotiations with NV revolutionary Le DucTho (LAY duhk TOH)

3. Vietnamization • The goal: “Peace with honor” • Vietnamization – Turning over more of the fighting to the South Vietnamese army while gradually bringing US ground troops home • Nixon hoped this would give South Vietnamese leaders enough time to create a stable anti-communist government • This way, he could avoid the appearance of an embarrassing defeat

4. Cutting Back Troops in Vietnam • When Nixon took office in 1969, there were 540,000 U.S. troops stationed there • By the end of 1972, the number had been reduced to just over 24,000 • While most people opposed Vietnamization because it didn’t end the war immediately, Nixon was convinced that the “silent majority” supported it

5. Laos & Cambodia • While he withdrew troops from Vietnam, Nixon also secretly expanded the war • In early 1969, he ordered the bombing of Cambodia with the goal of disrupting supply lines to the Ho Chi Minh Trail • Nixon concealed these attacks from the American people – including members of Congress and some key military leaders.

6. Laos & Cambodia • The war expanded further in 1970, when Nixon sent U.S. and ARVN troops into Cambodia and Laos to destroy Vietnamese army bases • Nixon then renewed the bombing of North Vietnam, hoping to pressure the country’s leaders into seeking peace • The Madman Theory – “I want the North Vietnamese to believe that I’ve reached the point where I might do anything to stop the war.” • Unfortunately for Nixon he, like his predecessor, under-estimated N.V. resolve, which even survived the death of Ho Chi Minh

7. The Kent State Massacre • May 2, 1970 • Antiwar demonstrators at Kent State University set fire to the campus ROTC building • The governor of Ohio sent National Guard troops to control the situation • On May 4, students gathered on campus for a rally but were ordered to disperse • Several students began to shout and throw rocks and the officers opened fire, killing four and injuring nine others • Some of those who were shot were not even protesting, just passing by on the way to class

8. Murder at Jackson State College • In Mississippi nine days later, police fired at protesters inside a dorm, killing two students and wounding nine • Americans were horrified; professors and students went on strike and campuses shut down temporarily • Clearly, the antiwar movement continued to grow, and millions of people took part in a nationwide day of protest • Returned veterans even threw down their war medals to show how strongly they opposed continued involvement

9. Radical Protests • A small minority of protesters believed that peaceful demonstrations weren’t doing the job • They began turning to violent measures • The “Weathermen” set off more than 5,000 bombs in the New York City police department, the Pentagon, and the Capitol building The Weathermen

10. The My Lai Massacre is Revealed • In late 1969, Americans learned of a secret search-and-destroy mission in My Lai • The My Lai Massacre took place in 1968, U.S. troops in search of Vietcong fighters ended up killing 450 women, children, and elderly men when none could be found

11. “We weren’t in My lai to kill human beings . . . We were there to kill ideology that is carried by – I don’t know – pawns.” - Lieutenant William Calley

12. The 1972 Election • While Nixon campaigned for re-election, South Dakota Senator George McGovern campaigned for the Democraticnomination • McGovern hoped the passing of the 26th Amendment would increase his chances of winning the election, but it did not What did the 26th Amendment accomplish?

13. A Peace Agreement • To try and force the North Vietnamese to make concessions, Nixon ordered round-the-clock bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong in December of 1972 • The “Christmas bombing” was not successful • In January 1973, the United States agreed to withdraw and help rebuild Vietnam • It did not deal with the political future of South Vietnam

14. The Legacy of Vietnam • Two years after U.S. troops left, North Vietnam invaded the South which surrendered shortly thereafter • The fall of Saigon did not end the fighting in Southeast Asia however, the Khmer Rouge, a communist group, took control of Cambodia and went on a killing rampage referred to as The Cambodian Genocide

15. Effects on Southeast Asia • 185,000 South Vietnamese soldiers and 450,000 South Vietnamese civilians were killed in war • Vietcong and NVA deaths were estimated at about 1 million • After the war, Vietnam suffered from severe environmental devastation as the U.S. dropped more than 8 million tons of bombs

16. Effects on Veterans • 58,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam • 600 others were held as POW’s who spent several years in North Vietnam jails and often endured long periods of torture and solitary confinement • 2,500 soldiers were reported MIA • 300,000 soldiers were injured • Many soldiers were exposed to high levels of dangerous defoliants which later lead to cancer and birth defects in their children • Many soldiers also suffered from PTSD

17. The War’s Political Impact • In the end, the United States failed to prevent a communist take-over of Vietnam, despite spending $150 billion • The War Powers Act • Many Americans sought to contain the power of Presidents to wage “undeclared” wars after Vietnam • The War Powers Act re-affirmed Congress’s exclusive ability to officially declare war