President Nixon and Vietnamization Summer 1969-Nixon announces
the first troop withdrawals from Vietnam Vietnamization Train the
South Vietnamese troops to continue fighting the war against
communism
Slide 3
Peace with Honor Nixon wanted the U.S. to maintain its dignity
despite withdrawing from the conflict As the withdrawal continued,
Nixon ordered massive bombing raids into North Vietnam, Laos, and
Cambodia.
Slide 4
My Lai Massacre March 16, 1968-A U.S. platoon entered the
village near the border of North Vietnam Found no enemy soldiers,
so they rounded up the villagers and shot them Americans didnt
learn of this event until November 1969
Slide 5
Invasion of Cambodia By 1970, many protest groups began
shifting their attention from antiwar to environmentalism April 30,
1970-Nixon announces the invasion of Cambodia 1.5 million student
protestors closed down 1,200 college campuses across the nation The
first general student strike in U.S. history
Slide 6
Kent State (Ohio) Student protestors burned the Reserve Officer
Training Corps (ROTC) building Mayor called in the National Guard
May 4, 1970-guards fired into crowd of students who had begun
throwing rocks at them Wounded nine, killed four (two of whom had
not been a part of the protest)
Slide 7
Americas Longest War Ends January 27, 1973-America signs an
agreement ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam March 29,
1983-The last American troops leave Vietnam April 30, 1975-North
Vietnamese tanks roll into Saigon and capture the city
Slide 8
The Wars Painful Legacy Americans 58,000 killed 365,000 wounded
Vietnamese Combined 1.5 million deaths Left Southeast Asia highly
unstable Cynicism-a belief that the government was motivated by
self-interest rather than the nations interests
Slide 9
American Veterans Come Home The nation as a whole extended a
cold hand to the Vietnam vets Unlike WWII, Veterans faced
indifference and hostility upon their return A result of Americas
attitude towards the war
Slide 10
Further Turmoil in Southeast Asia U.S. invasion of Cambodia
unleashed a Civil War Khmer Rouge-communist group that seized power
in 1975 Executed government officials and academics Believed to
have killed 2 million Cambodians
Slide 11
War Powers Act Designed to prevent the president from ever
pulling the U.S. into another conflict like Vietnam President must
inform Congress within 48 hours if U.S. forces are sent into
hostile area without declaration of war Troops can remain there no
longer than 90 days without congressional approval or declaration
of war