Vietnamization:
Nixon was elected as president after Lyndon B. Johnson. During his campaign for presidency, he promised the American people that he had a "secret plan" to stop the Vietnam war but he never actually clarified what that plan was. He slowly pulled troops out, increased supplies sent to ARVN, extended the war into Cambodia and Laos, created tons of inflation, and prolonged the war by 4 years. This plan was known as Vietnamization. By the end of the war, Nixon's cabinet stopped supporting him, and he was under threat of impeachment if he didn't stop the war. As a last push, he ordered the Christmas Bombing of 1972, which bombed a lot of North Vietnam. Ultimately 60,000 US soldiers are killed in Vietnam, and it goes down as the only war the US has ever lost. Due to Nixon's actions, the War Power act is created, which requires the president to report to congress within 2 days after making a military decision, and it requires a declaration of war to be made to use troops for longer than 90 days. |
My LaiOne terrible event during the Vietnam war was the attack on the town of My Lai. US troops were ordered to destroy the town because VietCong forces were suspected of being held up there. No VietCong were found and the town was pillaged and burned by US troops. ALso many of the civilians were killed or raped. Later Lt. William Calley was put under 3 years of house arrest for giving the orders at My Lai.
|
Kent StateIn outrage at Nixon's decisions, students at Kent State rioted. They burned down a ROTC building. The National Guard was ordered in, and the soldiers fired on the college students, killing four and wounding several others. When asked about it, the soldiers thought they heard their leader shout fire. The leader claimed he did no such thing.
|
The Pentagon PapersRobert McNamara was concerned about what Nixon was doing in Vietnam, so he conducted a study there. His reports were leaked, and the NY Times released them to the public as the Pentagon Papers. They talked about many lies the government was telling the people about Vietnam. It ruined the people's perspective on the war and the government.
|