The USA and Southeast Asia

What year did the Paris Peace negotiations conclude?

1973

Why did Nixon have to resign in August 1974?

A scandal

Why did Nixon not achieve his ‘peace with honour’

Because he did not see through the withdrawal

What did North Vietnam capture in 1975?

Saigon and stormed the US embassy

What did the US want to keep with ‘peace with honour’?

They still wanted to contain communism and keep a southern Vietnamese state

When did Paris Peace talks being between North Vietnam and the USA?

July 1972

Why would Nixon refuse to take action until November 1972 on the Paris Peace talks?

Because he wanted to wait for the US elections

Where did Nixon bomb to pressure North Vietnam into negotiations?

Hanoi and other important Northern Cities

When was the Paris Peace Agreement signed?

January 1973

Paris Peace Agreement terms:

• Ceasefire beginning January 1973

• Both sides would keep the territory that was occupied at time of ceasefire

• The USA would withdraw forces within 60 days and all prisoners of war to be exchanged.

• There would be a commission for post-war elections in South Vietnam

• The elections may include a referendum for unified Vietnam

What happened upon US withdrawal?

North Vietnamese action intensified in the South

What had distracted the US from Vietnam in 1974?

Domestic affairs such as the Watergate scandal - his “smoking gun” audio tapes

Who replaced Nixon in August 1974?

Gerald Ford

How much did Ford request for assistance to South Vietnam who were demoralised and losing without US support?

$722 Million and a further $250 Million in economic

Why did the South Vietnamese not get this assistance?

Because congress refused to Act

Who resigned and fled Vietnam in April 1974?

Thieu

When did South Vietnam surrender?

April 1974

Where was a pro-us government formed in March 1970?

Cambodia

Who fought back against the new pro-us government in Cambodia?

The Khmer Rouge backed by North Vietnam

How many tons of bombs did the US drop in the Cambodian civil war on Khmer Rouge?

430,000 tons

How much did the Cambodian army have compared to the Khmer Rouge?

175,000 versus the Khmer Rouge’s 40,000

Why did the Cambodian army fail against the Khmer Rouge?

Because they were poorly trained, badly paid and Lon Nol (The leader) did not listen to US military advice

Where did Khmer Rouge beat the Cambodian army?

Phnom Penh

What did Khmer Rouge employ upon the revolution?

Ethnic cleansing to destroy Cambodian society and create a new agricultural country.

How many workers were killed in the revolution?

One million - 10% of the population

Why did Vietnam then invade Cambodia in December 1978?

Over frontier disputes

Who captured Phnom Penh in January 1979 making the Khmer Rouge flee?

Vietnam with Soviet assistance

Who led the Khmer Rouge?

Pol Pot

How many Americans died in the Vietnam war?

58,000 Americans

How many Americans served in the Vietnam war?

2.7 Million

How many left the USA to avoid conscription?

100,000

How much did the US government spend on the war?

$167 Billion

What groups in the US government evidenced the divide in ideology over the Vietnam war?

Between the Doves and the Hawks.

What did the failures in South East Asia prove about US policy?

• That containment did not work - SV fell and so did Cambodia

• That the domino theory was correct

What disbanded in 1976 after the failure to contain communism?

SEATO

How many Vietcong and NVA fighters were killed?

1.1 Million

How many acres of South Vietnamese land were poisoned?

6 Million acres

What had a major impact on Vietnam’s economy after the wars?

The US opposed their entry into the United Nations and imposed a trade embargo on them.