2667624
Description
Mind Map by anyadesilva, updated more than 1 year ago
|
Created by anyadesilva
about 9 years ago
|
|
How significant was the Tet
offensive 1968 as a reason
for US withdrawal from
Vietnam - Jan 2012
- Tet Offensive
- 30 Jan 1968
- Vietcong launched a surprise
attack from Ho Chi Minh trail
- Were able to take over many
cities in South Vietnam
- Came close to capturing US embassy
- Attack presidential palace of Thieu
- Attack presidential palace of Thieu
- Very significant - led to America realising
that they could not win the war
- Attack exposed many US
weaknesses: had failed to
predict the Offensive
- NVA were able to
penetrate territory in the
South as far as Saigon
- CREATED INCREASE IN ANTI
WAR MOVEMENTS
- Following the offensie, Walter
Cronkite (respected TV journalist)
spoke for US Peoplewhen he said
"what the hell is going on? I
thought we were winning the war."
- Consequently;
Johnson's
approval ratings
fell from 48%-36%
- Opinion poll showed that
2/3 believed no progress
had been made since 1965
- Significantly
contributed to
Nixon's decision to
withdraw troops -
Vietnamisation
- became clear the NVA were not going to
back down and that winning the war
was unlikely so providing US assistance
was no longer vital to US interests
- However less significant as did not
cause the immediate withdrawal of
troops - the first US troops did not leave
Vietnam until september 1969
- became clear the NVA were not going to
back down and that winning the war
was unlikely so providing US assistance
was no longer vital to US interests
- Significantly
contributed to
Nixon's decision to
withdraw troops -
Vietnamisation
- Consequently;
Johnson's
approval ratings
fell from 48%-36%
- Following the offensie, Walter
Cronkite (respected TV journalist)
spoke for US Peoplewhen he said
"what the hell is going on? I
thought we were winning the war."
- CREATED INCREASE IN ANTI
WAR MOVEMENTS
- NVA were able to
penetrate territory in the
South as far as Saigon
- Despite Johnson's claims that they were
- This in itself caused
the need for
withdrawal of
troops as made USA
realise that it was
unlikely they would
win the war and
therefore US troops
was unnecesary
- Attack exposed many US
weaknesses: had failed to
predict the Offensive
- Came close to capturing US embassy
- Were able to take over many
cities in South Vietnam
- Vietcong launched a surprise
attack from Ho Chi Minh trail
- 30 Jan 1968
- Financial cost
- Spent $120 billion on the war
- This led directly to, in early 1970's,
Congress began to refuse to
continue to fund the war effort
- As Nixon had begun
withdrawing troops, he could not
use the well being of American
soldiers as a reason for Congress
to continue their support
- Congress therefore began to
pass measures that restricted
Nixon's ability to make
decisions in Vietnam; which
inevitably directly linked to
the mass withdrawal of US
troops as Nixon was now
powerless in taking any other
measure in Vietnam
- Congress repealed Tonkin Gulf
Resolution January 1971
- Amendments attached
to spending bills
forbidding further
intervention by ground
forces in Laos/Cambodia
- 1973 War Powers Act -
reduced Nixon's power
in further conflicts
- April - July 1971
congress voted 17
times to on
measures to restrict
Nixon's actions
- Congress repealed Tonkin Gulf
Resolution January 1971
- Congress therefore began to
pass measures that restricted
Nixon's ability to make
decisions in Vietnam; which
inevitably directly linked to
the mass withdrawal of US
troops as Nixon was now
powerless in taking any other
measure in Vietnam
- As Nixon had begun
withdrawing troops, he could not
use the well being of American
soldiers as a reason for Congress
to continue their support
- Had negative impacts: Johnson's
"great society" only received
$15.5bn; US budget deficit
increased $1.6bn - $25.3bn
- This led directly to, in early 1970's,
Congress began to refuse to
continue to fund the war effort
- Spent $120 billion on the war
- Nixon's policies
- Most significant factor as
actually meant troops
were withdrawn
- Aim to achieve "peace with honor"
- Nixon was a realist in
politics (as was Kissinger)
- Speech Feb 1970 "out interests
must shape our commitments
rather than the other way round"
- This belief led
to his policy of
Vietnamisation
- Set out in the Guam
doctrine which
justified his policy of
Vietnamisation - put
the burden of
fighting on ARVN
troops and US troops
would be withdrawn
- Directly led to the
withdrawal of US troops:
April 69 - 543,000; December
1969 - 475,200; Dec 1970 -
334,000; Dec 1972 - 24,000
- Directly led to the
withdrawal of US troops:
April 69 - 543,000; December
1969 - 475,200; Dec 1970 -
334,000; Dec 1972 - 24,000
- Set out in the Guam
doctrine which
justified his policy of
Vietnamisation - put
the burden of
fighting on ARVN
troops and US troops
would be withdrawn
- This belief led
to his policy of
Vietnamisation
- Speech Feb 1970 "out interests
must shape our commitments
rather than the other way round"
- Nixon was a realist in
politics (as was Kissinger)
- Aim to achieve "peace with honor"
- However can be
argued that
these were his
policies only due
to previous
circumstances
- eg Tet caused
lack of public
support which he
needed to win
1972 election -
therefore these
causes could be
seen as the
underlying cause
for withdrawal of
troops
- eg Tet caused
lack of public
support which he
needed to win
1972 election -
therefore these
causes could be
seen as the
underlying cause
for withdrawal of
troops
- Became president
Nov 68
- Failure of
Vietnamisation
- Part of Vietnamisation
was to strengthen
ARVN troops
- Although it grew from 850,000 - 1
million, the strengthening of the
ARVN could be seen as a failure
- 100,000 ARVN troops deserted per year
- Feb 1971 - ARVN troops
attacked Laos. 2,500 died
and were forced to retreat
due to lack of US support
- ARVN remained weak in comparison to communists
by 1972; showed US that it was futile and may aswell
pull out American troops when they could
- Communists in south found it easy to replenish their armies (unlike ARVN)
- by 1972 50,000 NVA troops; 225,000 VC troops; 150,000 local militias
- Quick rearming considering blow
caused by failure of the Tet
- Quick rearming considering blow
caused by failure of the Tet
- Communists in south found it easy to replenish their armies (unlike ARVN)
- by 1972 50,000 NVA troops; 225,000 VC troops; 150,000 local militias
- ARVN remained weak in comparison to communists
by 1972; showed US that it was futile and may aswell
pull out American troops when they could
- Feb 1971 - ARVN troops
attacked Laos. 2,500 died
and were forced to retreat
due to lack of US support
- 100,000 ARVN troops deserted per year
- Although it grew from 850,000 - 1
million, the strengthening of the
ARVN could be seen as a failure
- Part of Vietnamisation
was to strengthen
ARVN troops
- Nixon opposed George
McGovern's policy to
condemn draft dodgers
- 34,000
draft
dogers
- 34,000
draft
dogers
- Most significant factor as
actually meant troops
were withdrawn
- Growth of anti war movement - public opinion
- Directly linked to Tet
offensive as following the Tet
offensive protests grew
- Can be argued that anti war
movements as a result of the Tet
offensive was the most significant
factor in withdrawal of US troops
- These protests convinced Nixon to
establish policy of Vietnamisation
- Nixon wanted to maximise his chances
in 1972 election and therefore shaped
his policies around the desires of the
public
- October 1969 - 2 million
people across 200 cities
took part in mass protest
- October 1969 - 2 million
people across 200 cities
took part in mass protest
- Nixon wanted to maximise his chances
in 1972 election and therefore shaped
his policies around the desires of the
public
- These protests convinced Nixon to
establish policy of Vietnamisation
- Can be argued that anti war
movements as a result of the Tet
offensive was the most significant
factor in withdrawal of US troops
- Prior to the Tet
- Martin Luther King
- speaks out against the war 1967
- Significant because MLK was a very
influential figure as leader of the Civil
Rights movement. He protested against
the greater percentage of black troops in
combat roles - 28%, with only 13% overall
- strongly significant in increasing number of people who
were against the war who would've put pressure on
Johnson/Nixon to withdraw from the confict
- strongly significant in increasing number of people who
were against the war who would've put pressure on
Johnson/Nixon to withdraw from the confict
- Significant because MLK was a very
influential figure as leader of the Civil
Rights movement. He protested against
the greater percentage of black troops in
combat roles - 28%, with only 13% overall
- speaks out against the war 1967
- public demonstrations
- Norman
Morrison,
quaker, self
immolation
- 20,000
in a
teach in
in
Berkeley
- 200,000
demonstrated
in NY
- Norman
Morrison,
quaker, self
immolation
- Martin Luther King
- However the growth of anti war
movement was not that important
- It wasn't that significant as
68% supported Nixon's
policies, so only a minority
were anti war and would
have impacted Nixon's
decisions to withdraw troops
- "silent majority"
- "silent majority"
- Also - there was some significant public
support for keeping troops in USA show in polls
1968
- 42% were in favour of
mining Haiphong
- 49% wanted an
invasion of NV
- These stats show that public
opinion was not highly
significant as many still wanted
to keep US troops in Vietnam
and carry on the war
- These stats show that public
opinion was not highly
significant as many still wanted
to keep US troops in Vietnam
and carry on the war
- 42% were in favour of
mining Haiphong
- It wasn't that significant as
68% supported Nixon's
policies, so only a minority
were anti war and would
have impacted Nixon's
decisions to withdraw troops
- Directly linked to Tet
offensive as following the Tet
offensive protests grew
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