P16 - USA and SouthEast Asia

Sino Soviet Split causes

Destalinisation

Sino-Indian War

Cuban missile crisis

Great leap forward - Mao wanting to lead communism

nuclear treaties

Siberia

USA Pressure on USSR and China

Nixon knew needed Ch and USSR to help end war

deteriorated relation ment he could use this to improve relations in trade and arms agreements

Asked both to help end NV conflict, but they did barely any support

Secret negotions 1969

Kissinger and Le Duc Thieu/Tho had regular meetings aiming to achieve peace

-THO determined to keep US military support

-Tho appalled when agreements of ceasefire beginning in 1972-73 announced by Kissinger - “peace is a hand”

Ho Chi Minh 

died in September 1969 

Nixon Bombing campign

bombed Ho Chi Minh trail and VC bases - pressure to keep at negotiating table

increased bombing whilst removing US troops 

wanted to show NV that US was not forced out of war 

-"attempt to fulfil Vietnamisation and “Peace with Honour”

-less US casualties so public accept this policy

Bombing extended -cambodia

1970 Cambodia VC bases bombed

 -NVA had bases here and supplying VC through the Ho chi minh trail

success here forced VC to rely more on Laos  

-Bombing fuelled the peace movement - e.g. Kent state Protests

1971 Operation Lam SON 719

USA agree for ARVN to attack LAO in Feb 1971

-even providing ARVN with high tech, they were forced to retreat

Operation Linebacker

after TET offensive 1972, NVA attempt to use advantage of reduction in US troops to invade SV, with tanks from USSR 

-Nixon response with mass air attack in NV 

bombing still occurred as peace talks weren’t resolved

Christmas 1972 - Operation Linebacker II

200,000 bombs dropped on cities like Hanoi and Port of Haiphong

got NV back to negotiating table 

-occurred after his election win, but decreased his approval rating by 32% in USA

MADMAN theory

Nixon presents himself on the edge of breackdown, ready to use nuclear arms, but had no real intention of doing so.

China Card

Kissinger using Sino-soviet split to gain US advantage

-China not willing, but did tell NV to negotiate with US in Paris

Secret Diplomacy in April 1972 - visited USSR to get its support 

• soviets also uninterested and saw opportunity for a united Socialist Vietnam

Nixon

instant on peace with honour idea

-unwilling to take action until after 1972 president campaign

- he won and after his election win occurred the Xmas bombings - decreased his approval rating by 32% in USA

Paris Peace talks - Ceasfire agreement

on 27th Jan 1973 with terms agreed at Paris stating:

• Us withdraw completely and no further support

• US prisoners released by NV

• future elections to decide Vietnam uniting 

• No foreign forces in Cambodia or Laos - theory that SV safe from Ho Chi Minh trail

• NV recognise SV, but NVA can remain in SV areas that they controlled before ceasefire

Why did they take so long to sign?

US election 1972

Kent state Protests

Secret negotiations between Kissinger and Le Duc Tho

-lack of trust

-deep lying disagreements

-China issue 

-Peace with Honour + bombing 

Nixon’s Watergate Scandal + fighting

fighting resumed in 1974, 

-due to the scandal, corruptness of SV gov, and public views, he was unable to ask for military aid for Vietnam as congress wouldn’t grant his promise of 1 billion armaments 

-Resigned in August and replaced by President Ford -  only received 700m to solve Vietnam + laws present which ment he was unable to bomb Indo-China

30th April 1975 - North Victory

NV fighting in DEC 1974 - ARVN unsuccessful so Thieu’s regime doomed

refugees streamed South hoping to escape communist rule - was futile

US did nothing to stop advance 

-21 April 1974 - Thieu resign and fled

-30th April 1975 - North Victory

Continuing Cambodia Problems

Lon Nol established a pro-U.S. government (Khmer Republic).

Cambodian communists (Khmer Rouge) allied with North Vietnam (NV) to fight Lon Nol’s U.S.-backed regime.

The U.S. bombed Cambodia heavily 430,000 tons of bombs and sent 119 military advisors to Phnom Penh in 1971.

Lon Nol’s army grew to 175,000 soldiers (out of 7.5 million people) — poorly trained and no match for the Khmer Rouge, who were supported by North Vietnam.

Fall of Phnom Penh (1975)

Khmer rouge intensified its efforts and used pincer strats to isolate Phnom Penh to lauch an attack on the Capital in Jan 1975 

APR 1975 - US forced to evacuate, and Khmer Rouge controlled this area

Impact of Khmer Rouges leadership

-based on ruthless ideology cleansing

-wanted to create new agricultural society - cities emptied as POP made to work as farmers or peasants 

-1M killed estimate during revolution, and war had 700,000 deaths + many refugees 

Cambodia- Viet Border disputes

25 DEC 1978 - Khmer Rouge attacked border

-Viet with Soviet military aid invaded Cambodia

Pol Pot captured in Jan 1979 + replaced by Heng Samrin 

-Khmer Rouge ended, with leadership fleeing country

Victims of Vietnam war 

Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China, US, Soviets, Budists

Effect of the war

-58,000 US died , from the 2.7M serving

-phycological effects of guerrilla war

draft Dodgers - 100,000 men left US to avoid conscription

-US society ostracised veterans from peace movements

$167B - cost

Foreign policy 

Us saw SV as cornerstone of Democracy in South East Asia 

-loss suggested threat of domino affect e.g. Cambodia and Laos falls 

• but others such as Thai , Malaysia, Sing, Indonesia remained Capitalist

Disband of SEATO in 1976 as without Indo China

Consequences for Vietnam

-1.3 to 9M estimated killed with population at 48M in 1975 

• Vietcong placed it at 1.1m Vietcong, NVA deaths + ARVN range 100,000 - 330,000 

-Isolation as PRES Ford opposed entry into UN + placed Trade embargo till 1994 + withdrew Formal recognition of gov till 1995 - economic impact

- 634,000 tons of bombs on NV and 700,000 on SV + Agent Orange and Napalm ruined 2.4 hectares of SV land

More effects

Montagnards - region between NV and SV, they lost 1/5 of their population + 85% forced to resettle

US power - “War Powers Act” of 1973 passed by congress gave right to declare war - prevent US presidents acting on their own

Social Consequence - united nation, but Southerners made to go to “re-education camps”

• March 1978 - Hanoi placed a communist style economic system on South - collectivisation of agriculture - many farmers lost jobs

Migration of 1.5m “boat ppl”, and 2/3 ended up in USA