-The Road out of Vietnam-

I. Vietnamizing the War: 1968-1973 A. South Vietnam soldiers were paid with American aid and fought with American weapons 1. There were over a million men in the Saigon government’s military 2. High rates of desertion

B. The South Vietnamese government survived for 15 years on more than 100 billion in US aid 1. Totally dependent on America 2. Accused of being a puppet government

C. By early 1969, 1/3 of the forces defending the Saigon government, about half a million men, were American 1. Six times more bombs were dropped on South Vietnam than on the North

2. Destruction of towns in South Vietnam created more than 3 million refugees 3. US presence inflated the South Vietnamese economy a. US bases employed thousands of Vietnamese civilians

4. A black market economy developed in south Vietnamese cities and towns a. Drugs were more plentiful than cigarettes or chewing gum b. By 1971 the Pentagon had recognized drug use as a problem among US soldiers in Vietnam

D. During the first six months of 1969: 1. 800 US soldiers were wounded each week 2. 200 US soldiers were killed 3. 450 ARVN soldiers were killed 4. 500 enemy – NVA and VC – were counted dead each day

E. Vietnamization – The South Vietnamese government taking on more and more of the responsibility of fighting the war 1. In two years the US force in Vietnam had been reduced by more than 300 thousand

2. It is during this time that pacification programs such as the phoenix program were used a. Efforts focused on gaining support for the South Vietnamese government among the peasants b. The continued withdrawal of American troops weakened the South Vietnamese economy and its army

F. Civilians rioted against the government of President Thieu 1. He resisted truly democratic elections

G. In March, 1972 regular North Vietnamese units crossed the demilitarized zone in an all-out offensive 1. The South Vietnamese army was unprepared and lost early engagements

2. On May 1st the South Vietnamese army surrendered the province capital of Quong Tri 3. Nixon responded by increasing the bombing of North Vietnam and mining Haiphong harbor

4. The South Vietnamese army was able to regroup, and with American assistance, take back the province communists had occupied a. December of 1972 was a turning point in the war b. Vietnamization was becoming a reality

H. President Thieu continually resisted the peace agreement made by the US through Henry Kissinger

II. Peace is at Hand: 1968-1973 A. Johnson ordered a bombing cutback and peace talks began after the Tet Offensive 1. The Americans brought in South Vietnamese government officials 2. The North Vietnamese brought in the National Liberation Front; the Vietcong

3. As the peace talks in Paris dragged on, the war in Vietnam continued; shifting from the cities back into the countryside

B. July 1969 Nixon announced the Vietnamization policy 1. Commitment to troop withdrawal 2. The Nixon administration was committed to the idea of disengagement 3. As more and more US soldiers left Vietnam, the bombing steadily increased

C. Ho Chi Minh’s health was deteriorating during 1969 1. He died on September 3rd, 1969 2. Northern leaders felt pressured to continue his work and reach his goals

3. North Vietnam took advantage of every instance of anti-war demonstrations in the United States a. The New York Times published the Pentagon Papers – a secret history of war decisions b. Hanoi leaders did not respond when Nixon called for a cease-fire in Indochina

D. Henry Kissinger had secretly been meeting with the communists since August of 1969 1. The South Vietnamese government was unaware of this 2. Top US officials were also kept in the dark 3. Kissinger was meeting with Le Duc Tho, a communist leader who directed the insurgency in the south

E. The North was using its occupation of provinces in South Vietnam as a bargaining tool against Kissinger 1. They were more receptive to US positions after an increase in bombing and the mining of Haiphong harbor 2. The North dropped the demand that the Thieu government in South Vietnam be disbanded a. They agreed to a cease-fire and the return of US prisoners of war

F. Nixon visited China and Mao Zedong in February of 1972 1. This was during a time when relations between China and the Soviet Union were in jeopardy 2. Nixon was hoping to convince China to withdraw its support of North Vietnam

G. The Saigon government was displeased with the negotiations the US was making with North Vietnam 1. They were most unhappy with the idea that North Vietnamese troops would be allowed to remain in South Vietnam 2. Saigon leaders would not approve of the treaty made between the US and North Vietnam a. South Vietnam demanded 69 changes to the agreement 3. Operation Enhance Plus – over a billion dollars in aid sent to South Vietnam as a means of reassuring their government of US support

H. Nixon resumed the bombing of Hanoi and the North 1. The Christmas bombing was viewed by the North as an extremely aggressive act a. It resulted in the death of over a thousand civilians

I. On January 11th 1973, Kissinger cabled Nixon that an agreement was ready and that the North was prepared to sign 1. The agreement affirmed that South Vietnam was one country with two governments a. There would be moves towards reconciliation 2. Prisoners of war would be released 3. US troops would leave 4. Northern forces could remain in the South

J. A peace agreement was signed by all parties on January 27th 1973 1. The North Vietnamese and Vietcong believed that the struggle was not over a. Vietnam was still divided