Vietnamisation
History: Cambridge International GCSE The Twentieth Century (Option B), topic 5.3.9
Vietnamisation
President Nixon won the election in 1969 as he promised to end the war in Vietnam, but ensure it wouldn’t fall to the communists. He tried several different methods:
Official peace talks
- Official peace talks:
- Nixon sent representatives to negotiate with North and South Vietnam, as well as the VC.
- However, this would be a very long and difficult process.
Secret peace talks
- Secret peace talks:
- Nixon sent Henry Kissinger to negotiate secretly with the leader of North Vietnam, Le Duc Tho.
Troop withdrawal
- Troop withdrawal:
- Nixon decreased the number of troops in Vietnam by 25,000 and began to withdraw them from July 1969 onwards.
ARVN training
- ARVN training:
- Nixon ordered General Abrams to focus on training the ARVN to carry on the war without American troops.
Secret bombings
- Secret bombings:
- In March 1969 Nixon ordered bombs to be dropped on the Ho Chi Minh trail in Cambodia.
The Nixon Doctrine
On 25th July 1969 Nixon made a speech about the role of the USA in the future of South East Asia. This became known as Vietnamisation.
Vietnamisation
- On 25th July 1969 Nixon made a speech about the role of the USA in the future of South East Asia.
- This became known as Vietnamisation.
Nixon's speech
- The USA promised to support its allies against nuclear threats by training their troops, but without sending US soldiers.
- This was like in 1964, when the US gave advice and money but kept its soldiers out.
'Withdraw with honour’
- Vietnamisation would allow the US to ‘withdraw with honour’ in the eyes of the Nixon administration.
- And South Vietnam would remain an independent, non-communist country.
Divisions
- The US public welcomed Vietnamisation.
- But the army leadership felt that the US was withdrawing before the ARVN were ready.
- And that after the Tet Offensive, more troops would give them a chance to fully defeat the VC.
Test yourself on Vietnamisation
Who became president in 1969?