P 13 - Nixon Vietnam 1969-72

Johnson response to the TET offensive

consulted advisors - plan of de Americanisation of conflict - leave it to ARVN

1968 - announced seeking peace

-didn’t stand for a re-election

Nixon

President in 1968

“peace with honour”

MAD-man theory

concerned over wavering public opinion

-peace talks but continued to bomb Cambodia

Nixon’s aims from the peace treaty

-needed to make sure it didn’t look like a waste of US time

• set Le Duc Thieu (SV) in a good position to remain non-communist

pledged to keep econ support but not troops

Vietnamisation

aimed to strengthen SV army, so US troops could withdraw in 1969

1970 - 150,000 left

1971 - only 150,000 remained

1972 - 47,000

ARVN grew to 1m via conscription but thousands also deserted

negotiation compromise

aimed for Vietnamisation would increase willingness North to negotiate

-also invaded Laos and Cambodia to try get NV to negotiate

How successful ?

1972 Spring offensive by NV - ARVN 8000 casualties vs NV 40,000

• US continued to support via bombing

-ARVN ineffective force which still heavily relied on US

-SV had little sense of nationalism, corruption, low morale, desertion

Cambodia - Operation menu 1969

bomb areas regarded as safe in Cambodia

-attempt to get NV to negotiate

-disrupt Ho chi minh trail

-retain SV confidence, during Vietnamisation period

General Lon Nol

1970 - Prince Norodom Sihanouk (head of state) overthrown by General Lon Nol

NV backed Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot

Nixon’s fear + response

Nixon feared of communist rule in Cambodia

-cross boarder raids of SV + US air support into Cambodia

April 1970 - US 20,000 group troops support

• shows us strengthened commitment to war

Laos

-Nixon determined to further disrupt ho chi minh trail in LAOS

-congress banned US troops, so used US air force + SV forces

Operation Lam Son 719

Feb 1971

-30,000 ARVN attacked - 3000 casualties

-NV force far superior, forcing ARVN to withdraw

Result of Laos

-highlighted lack of leadership + weakness of ARVN

• only had a chance of success with US support

-failed to move to “peace with honour”

Relations with china

-Nixon + Kissinger saw importance of sino-american relations

-china also realised of self-imposed isolation was no benefit

-current tensions between china and USSR e.g. border disputes

USA - Artichoke approach

gradual reduced relations in layers

1969 - US removed trade controls + relaxed travel restrictions

promote idea of US willingness to improve relations

China’s role - Zhou Enlai

China PM - helped shift policy away from dual confrontation

-MAO did not reject US threat but saw USSR threat as greater

Kissinger

believer in detent + improved sino-american relations

July 1971 - visit Beijing - made agreement for presidential visit

OCt 1971 - 2nd trip - Kissinger failed to persuade China to pressure NV into peace processes

1968-72 Beginning of Paris Peace talks

March 1968 - Johnson said intention to negotiate settlement with NV

• talks broke down, during NV force on defensive during TET - don’t want to appear weak

• sides non convinced of full commitment

1970-72 Meeting between US and NV in Paris

1970 FEB - Kissinger + Le duc tho (special advisor for North) met to negotiate

Le Duc Tho - insisted on replacement of SV president + coalition gov in Saigon that included NLF

US response

didn’t agree as:

-ousting Nguyen Van Thieu would destabilise SV + leave US allies vulnerable

-NFL political wing of Vietcong - had done great damage to US

OCT 1972 NV position

NV moderates position on Thieu’s removal

-strat of keep talks going, while continuing ground war