Vietnam: The End of the War and Its Legacy – Section 22.5

Nixon Begins to Pull Out “We have to get rid of the nightmares we have inherited. One of those nightmares is war without end.” –Richard Nixon

Vietnamization Nixon’s plan for withdrawal was known as “Vietnamization” – which simply refers to a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops – thus giving the South Vietnamese the dominant role in the war. In August 1969 the first 25,000 troops returned home – and over the next three years dropped from more than 500,000 to less than 25,000.

“Peace With Honor” Although Nixon made an honest effort to pull out of Vietnam – he also did not want the withdrawal to appear as cowardly. As a result, Nixon continued fighting and initiated a massive bombing campaign. The result, Nixon hoped, would give America more influence at the negotiating table.

Invasion of Cambodia As a part of “peace with honor” Nixon still tried to defeat the North Vietnamese and save American troops by attacking Vietcong strongholds in Cambodia.

Result of Cambodia Invasion Anti-War demonstrators burst into protest upon Nixon’s announcement. The 1 st General Student Strike in the nation’s history occurred during the Cambodia invasion – 1.5 million students closed down 1200 college campuses.

Kent State The worst of the protests occurred at Kent State University in Ohio. At the Kent State campus, National Guard troops fired into college protesters killing 4 and wounding 9.

Cambodia Costs Nixon By failing to notify congress of the bombing and invasion of Cambodia, Nixon angered congress, which repealed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. Americans distrusted Nixon’s leadership even further when he tried to cover up the release of the Pentagon Papers

Pentagon Papers The Pentagon Papers, which was a classified document outlining the decision making process regarding Vietnam did not condemn Nixon at all – but he viewed the “leak” as a weakness in his administration because the papers said the war would never stop so long as the North Vietnamese continued fighting. This made Nixon look bad. As a result Nixon broke the law trying to reign in those who exposed the document – most notably Daniel Ellsberg.

Vietnam Ends for America Nixon’s actions during the Pentagon Papers’ scandal and later Watergate scandal overshadow his efforts in Vietnam. Nixon never did put an end to the War in Vietnam during his presidency. Eventually under Gerald Ford, the North Vietnamese defeat South Vietnamese and remaining American troops in the South Vietnamese Capital of Saigon.

Legacy of Vietnam War Powers Act: A president has 48 hours to notify congress after sending troops into a hostile area. The troops may remain there no longer than 90 days without consent of congress.