End of Vietnam War

Nixon’s Actions

Nixon’s Silent Majority: “So tonight, to you, the great

silent majority of my fellow Americans, I ask for your support. I pledged in my campaign for the Presidency to end the war in a way that we could win the peace.”

Nixon’s Actions

Bombing of Cambodia: April 30, 1970, President Nixon stuns

Americans by announcing a huge offensive of US and South Vietnamese troops into Cambodia

He said it was "...not for the purpose of expanding the war into Cambodia but for the purpose of ending the war in Vietnam and winning the just peace we desire."

Nixon announces Vietnamization:– U.S. will hand over responsibility for the

war to the South Vietnamese – troops will slowly come home

Nixon’s Actions

1973-1975

1973: Peace agreement – US agrees to pull out troops

March ‘73: Last American troops left South Vietnam

1975: North Vietnam defeats South Vietnam

Formerly Saigon

A United Vietnam

The Costs1. 3,400,000 Vietnamese killed2. 58,000 Americans killed; 300,000

wounded3. Under-funding of Great Society programs

The Impact

26th amendmentVoting age

War Powers ActPresident needs Congress’s

approval after 60 days

Vietnam Syndrome

A political concept, not a medical syndrome

The idea that, after Vietnam, Americans will no longer support ongoing wars that don’t directly relate to American interests

Predict…

What lessons did America learn from Vietnam?

Vietnam Syndrome Lessons

Lessons politicians have taken from Vietnam:

1. Set clear, winnable goals.2. Wars must be of short duration.3. Wars must have few American casualties.4. Limit media access to battlefields.5. Maintain public support.6. Set deadline for troop withdrawals.

Escalation

Pentagon Papers1971

What were they? What did they show? What were the arguments of

each side? What is prior restraint? What was the Supreme Court’s

decision & its reasoning?