Vietnamization, 1969
- Anti-war demonstrations became very popular in the U.S
- President Nixon was elected in 19§8 on a peace platform (Tricky Dicky)
- Nixon wanted to find a way out that was honourable
- Developed Vietnamization
- The plan had a two track formula
- 1) Make the south well trained enough militarily that they could withstand the north on their own
- 2) Strengthen the South's Govt.
- it worked but didn't stop the spread of communism
- Americans began to pull out of Vietnam
- The air war increased, dropped more bombs in north Vietnam than during all of WWII
- 1971 almost entirely an air war
- Jan. 1973 a cease fire is signed
- Aug. 1973 all U.S forces out of Vietnam
- Spring 1975 all of south Vietnam falls to the North and becomes communist
- Biggest American failure in war
- Couldn't win the hearts and minds of their own people
- Conscription was ended in the U.S because of this
Summary
Nixon became president in 1968 and wanted to find a way to pull out of the Vietnamese War so he created a plan called Vietnamization, which meant that they would train the south's military so they could withstand the north on their own and strengthen the south's government to attract a border base.