Nixon

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Nixon in Vietnam & Vietnamisation

President Nixon was a staunch anti-communist and said that he would end the war in Vietnam seeking ‘peace with honour’.

Nixon's Policies in Vietnam

Nixon realised that the USA’s credibility as ‘leader of the free world’ was being risked by the continuing war.
- Nixon was concerned about American public opinion. Opposition to the war intensified after atrocities like the My Lai Massacre.
- Nixon was also concerned about the growing risk of nuclear war and he wanted to ease the tensions of the Cold War.
- Nixon set about improving relations with China and the USSR and he even visited the USSR in 1972.

Vietnamisation or the 'Nixon Doctrine'

In a speech on 25th July 1969, Nixon introduced his policy of Vietnamisation.
This meant building up the capacity of forces of the ARVN (the South Vietnamese army) and supporting them with US airpower until they could take responsibility for their own defence.
The USA began the process of withdrawing troops from Vietnam while strengthening the South Vietnamese army.

Vietnamisation in practice

The ARVN increased the number of troops it had whilst the USA withdrew theirs.
The USA provided economic support to ARVN such as paying the troops and giving them updated military equipment and aircraft.

Evaluation of Vietnamisation

Despite the USA’s assistance and a key success at the 1972 Spring Offensive (the ARVN suffered 8000 casualties to the Vietcong’s 40,000), the ARVN did not stand up well to the communist threat.
The ARVN were affected by low morale and corruption.
The ARVN remained an ineffective fighting force that was heavily dependent on the USA.

Extension into Cambodia and Laos

Nixon wanted to force the North Vietnamese to enter into peace negotiations. The US extended its involvement in the war to Laos and Cambodia which the Ho Chi Minh trail ran through.

Pol Pot

In 1970 Cambodia lost their Head of State to a communist takeover led by Pol Pot.
Nixon feared that Cambodia would fall under communist control and became involved in Cambodia.
South Vietnamese troops, with air support from the USA, carried out cross-border raids in Cambodia.

Impact of raids in Cambodia

Positively for the USA, the Vietcong’s actions in Cambodia were hindered as large amounts of their supplies were destroyed or captured.
- This made a continuation of a war in Vietnam unlikely.
Negatively for the USA, they made no strategic gains, they increased their commitment to a war in Asia just as they were meant to be withdrawing.
- This caused large scale protests in the USA.
- The US Congress banned US ground troops from entering any country apart from Vietnam.

The decision to enter Laos

Nixon was determined not to lose the war and to fulfil his mission to withdraw from Vietnam 'with honour'.
Despite heavy bombing on the Ho Chi Minh trail, it was still operating in Laos so Nixon extended the war into Laos in 1972.

South Vietnamese troops in Laos

Congress had blocked sending US ground troops into any country apart from Vietnam so Nixon had to send in South Vietnamese troops to Laos.
The North Vietnamese outmatched the 30,000 US-backed South Vietnamese troops even though they had aerial support. - The South Vietnamese President ordered his forces to retreat once they had reached 3,000 casualties.

Relations with China

Relations between America and China improved during the 1970s.

Relations between China and the USSR

In 1959 the relationship between Mao and Khrushchev deteriorated.
- Mao believed in world revolution whereas Khrushchev believed in peaceful coexistence.
- Mao disagreed with Khrushchev's handling of the Cuban missile crisis.
- There were often disputes over the Russo-Chinese border with India.

Zhou Enlai

In the 1970s the Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai successfully argued that it was the USSR and not the USA that posed the greatest threat to China.

Nixon's policies towards China

Another reason why Chinese and American relations improved was the fact that Nixon saw it as a country with political and strategic importance in Asia.
The USA removed trade controls and travel restrictions as a first step.
Nixon then made it publically clear to French, Pakistani and Romanian diplomats that he wanted to improve relations.
Nixon also hoped that if he had improved relations with China that it would pressure the USSR into signing the SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty).

The deterioration of relations

Despite numerous visits to Mao’s China, relations deteriorated.
Russia refused to provide China with nuclear support and so hurled abuse at the USSR to which Khrushchev retorted by removing all Russian technicians working in China.

Historical interpretation

Historian David Painter in The Cold War, An international history (1999) argues that ‘the Nixon administration had initiated contacts with the People’s republic of China shortly after taking office, but divisions within the Chinese leadership on the possibility and the value of improved relations with the United States had prevented progress. The May 1970 US invasion of Cambodia caused further delays. Nixon’s visit to China in February 1972 put further pressure on the Soviets to head off a Sino-American strategic partnership.’

1Origins of the Cold War, 1945-9

1.1Events of 1945

1.1.1The Grand Alliance

1.1.2Yalta Conference

1.1.3Potsdam Conference

1.2The Collapse of the Grand Alliance

1.2.1Communism in the 20th Century

1.2.2Relations between Roosevelt, Stalin & Attlee

1.2.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Origins of the Cold War

1.3Developing Tensions

1.3.1USSR Actions

1.3.2Long Telegram & Iron Curtain Speech

1.3.3Cominform

1.3.4Greek Civil War & the Truman Doctrine

1.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Developing Tensions

1.4US Involvement in Europe

1.4.1US Policy Towards Britain & Europe

1.4.2US Attitudes Towards Germany & Berlin

1.4.3The Marshall Plan

1.5Conflict over Germany

1.5.1Sectors & Bizonia

1.5.2The Berlin Blockade

1.5.3The Formation of NATO, April 1949

1.5.4A-A* (AO3/4) - US Involvement in Europe

2Widening of the Cold War

2.1US Containment in Asia

2.1.1Japan

2.1.2China & Taiwan

2.2The Korean War

2.2.1Causes & Military Action in Korean War

2.2.2Attitudes of the USSR, China & the USA

2.2.3Panmunjon Armistice & Impact of the Korean War

2.2.4A-A* (AO3/4) - Widening of the Cold War

2.3Increasing Cold War Tensions, 1949 -1953

2.3.1McCarthyism & The 'Red Scare'

2.3.2USA Dominance in the United Nations

2.4Global Alliances

2.4.1Global Alliances in Europe & Asia

2.4.2Eisenhower, Brinkmanship & Domino Theory

2.4.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Tensions & Alliances

3The Global War

3.1Khrushchev

3.1.1Polish & Hungarian Uprisings 1956

3.1.2East-West Relations

3.2Cold War Rivalries

3.2.1Arms Race & Space Race

3.2.2Berlin Crisis & The Berlin Wall

3.2.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Khrushchev

3.3Conflict in Asia

3.3.1Indo-China

3.4Confrontation Between Superpowers

3.4.1Relations Between the USA & Cuba

3.4.2The Cuban Missile Crisis & its Significance

4Confrontation & Cooperation

4.1Vietnam

4.1.1Johnson

4.1.2Nixon

4.1.3Paris Peace Talks

4.2Cooperation

4.2.1Khrushchev & Kennedy

4.3Pressures on the USSR

4.3.1Czechoslovakia

4.3.2A-A* (AO3/4) - Confrontation & Cooperation

5Brezhnev Era

5.1Detente

5.1.1Settlements

5.1.2Detente up to 1979

5.2Second Cold War

5.2.1Renewed Hostilities

5.3Developments in Africa & Americas

5.3.1Angola, Ethiopia, Chila, Nicaragua, Grenada

5.3.2A-A* (AO3/4) - Brezhnev Era

6Ending of the Cold War

6.1Gorbachev

6.1.1Gorbachev & Reforms

6.2Cooperation between US & USSR

6.2.1Key Figures & Summits

6.3Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe

6.3.1Significance of 1989

6.4End of Tensions Across the World

6.4.1Africa, Afghanistan & the Americas

6.4.2Malta Summit & the Aftermath

6.4.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Ending of the Cold War

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