American History Chapter 31: The Vietnam War

IV. The End of the War

Bellringer

• Do you think it is possible for a United States President to continue a course of action strongly opposed by most of the American people? In what ways can the people make their opinions known to the President?

Objectives

• Learn how President Nixon’s policies led to the American withdrawal from Vietnam.

• Discover why President Nixon campaigned promising to restore law and order.

• See what happened in Vietnam after the withdrawal of American forces.

• Determine the legacy of the Vietnam War.

Setting the Scene

• Nixon asked the US’s “silent majority” what to do about Vietnam.

1. Bring the troops home immediately with no thought about the consequences

2. Keep gradually bringing troops home and finishing Vietnamization.

• “Its not the easy way, but the right way”

A) Nixon’s Vietnam Policy

1) Paris Peace Talks: talks that began in 1968 to end the Vietnam War.

a) Withdrawing Troops

• June of 1969 – a new Nixon policy2) Vietnamization: removing

American forces and replacing them with South Vietnamese soldiers.

• Total troops decrease to 24,000 by 1972

• Did increase bombings of peninsula

b) The War Spreads to Cambodia

• US attacks Cambodia to fight Vietcong.• Vietcong attacking South from

Cambodia• More protests for “escalating war”• Nixon wanted more strength at

bargaining table

B) Nixon Calls for Law and Order

• 1969 – faction of SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) called the Weathermen turned violent.

• Marched against police in Chicago.• Violence turned Americans against

antiwar movement.

a) The Silent Majority

• Some Americans didn’t protest, not radical, loved their country, and for war. Didn’t get press coverage.

3) Silent Majority: large groups of Americans for the war.

b) Kent State and Jackson State

• More protests after US invasion of Cambodia

• Kent State (Ohio): students burned down the ROTC building, threw rocks at national guard soldiers – soldiers fired – 4 dead

• Jackson State (all Black) MS: students and police – 2 dead

• 100,000 construction workers marched in NY in support of the President

C) American Withdrawal

• Nixon won re-election in 1972• Before election – Kissinger announced

“peace is at hand”• By January 1973 signed a cease fire1. US withdraw troops in 60 days2. All POW’s released3. No activities in Laos and Cambodia4. 17th parallel would divide the country

D) Aftermath of the War in Asia

• US left during 1973• Thought technology and money could

win wars

a) South Vietnam Falls

• South Vietnam falls in 1975• US carried out a dramatic last minute

evacuation• Vietnam one single country under

Communism

b) Southeast Asia After the War

• Domino theory – Laos and Cambodia fell to communism – but no others

• Cambodia – Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot took over – killed ¼ of population over 1.5 million

• Vietnam forced people to “re-education” camps

• 1.5 million people left peninsula “boat people”

E) The Legacy of the War

• 58,000 American killed – 300,000 wounded

• 2,500 POW’s – and MIA’s• Soldiers reception was nothing – no

parades

a) Counting the Costs

• Longest and least successful war in US history

• 150 billion dollars spent• More bombs dropped than in WWII• 1994 – US ended trade embargo and

engaged in diplomatic relations

b) The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

• Complete in 1982• 21 old college student from Yale: Maya

Ying Lin• Black, see your reflection– all names in

order killed – “scar” – long, not tall – can see all the names

Review

• How did President Nixon’s policies lead to American withdrawal from Vietnam?

• Why did President Nixon campaign promising to restore law and order?

• What happened in Vietnam after the withdrawal of American forces?

• What was the legacy of the Vietnam War?• Key Terms: Paris Peace talks,

Vietnamization, silent majority, POW, MIA