The End of the War: 1968-1975 Seeking Peace with Honor The Vietnam War: 1954-1975 The End of the War: 1968-1975 Seeking Peace with Honor

The Paris Peace Talks and the Election of 1968. Begun May 5, 1968. No results. Nixon campaign message claimed he had a secret plan to end the war. LBJ - not seeking re-election Democratic race included: VP Hubert H. Humphrey Sen. Robert F. Kennedy Sen. Eugene McCarthy

Republican Richard Nixon won in 1968 - a political comeback. Robert Kennedy assassinated in June. McCarthy - outspoken anti-war candidate. Democratic National Convention - Chicago riot Nixon defeated Humphrey. Promised to end the war and sought “peace with honor”.

“Vietnamization” and Peace with Honor Plan of removing American troops and replacing them with South Vietnamese soldiers. US continued heavy bombing of Vietnam US troop strength dropped from 500,000 in 1969 to 24,000 by 1972

Widening the war into Cambodia… to end it. Nixon ordered secret bombing of Viet Cong sanctuaries insided Cambodia (1970) US and South Vietnamese troops also invaded Cambodia Nixon hoped to win concessions at the bargaining table. Operation Linebacker B-52s to bomb Cambodia

Kent State (Akron, Ohio) 1970 News of Cambodian invasion set off a new round of campus anti-war protests (May 1970) Jackson State (MS), 2 killed, 11 wounded Kent State - Ohio National Guard confronted hundreds of protesters -- 4 students killed, 9 wounded Hundreds of campuses shut down early due to unrest.

Nixon calls for law and order Nixon appealed to the great “silent majority” of Americans. “If a vocal minority, however fervent its cause, prevails over reason and the will of the majoirty, this nation has no future as a free society.”

“Hard Hat” riots in New York City in support of Nixon Over 100,000 construction workers marched. Angry at the student anti-war protestors

1972 - “Peace is at Hand” Paris Peace talks stalled since 1968. Renewed periodically. National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger claimed peace was at hand - just before 1972 election. December 1972, new round of bombing - “Christmas bombings” (Nixon - a “mad bomber”) Bombed Hanoi, North Vietnam

1973 - Paris Peace Accords The United States would withdraw all its forces from South Vietnam within 60 days. All prisoners of war would be released. All parties to the agreement would end military activities in Laos and Cambodia. The 17th parallel would continue to divide North and South Vietnam until the country could be reunited.

South Vietnam falls North continued its assault on the South Saigon (capital of South) fell to communists in April, 1975 US evacuates 1,000 remaining Americans and 6,000 Vietnamese to aircraft carriers Vietnam united under communist rule

Saigon - 1975: the final days

Southeast Asia after the war. “Dominoes” of Laos and Cambodia fell to communism - no other SE Asian countries Cambodian Khmer Rouge government seized control under Pol Pot. Vietnam - 100,000s of South Vietnamese civilians, soldiers, civil servants, professionals forced into ‘re-education’ camps. 1.5 million Vietnamese fled the country (100,000s of Cambodians and Laotians also) to the United States.

Scenes of post-1975 SE Asia

Legacy of the War 58,000 Americans dead 300,000 wounded 2,500 POWs $150 billion More bomb tonnage than in all Axis countries of WWII - combined Millions of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed 1994 - end of US embargo 1995 - formal US recognition of Vietnam

The Vietnam Memorial - The Wall…