Towards Vietnamisation L/O Students will; Understand why and how America began to withdraw from Vietnam
Connection • What impact did Tet (1968) have on American attitudes to the Vietnam War?
Activation • Richard Nixon replaced Johnson in 1968. He was faced with a stark choice; 1) Carry on an unpopular War and risk upsetting the whole population. 2) Withdraw from Vietnam which would be a humiliation.
US Bombing campaigns and their impact 1970-1972 • Peace talks began in 1968. The NVA had been weakened – The VC decimated.
What did they want?
The USA South Vietnam to be independent North Vietnam South Vietnam to be free from “foreign� influence
Failure • Peace talks dragged on. The United States had the problem of a population that was desperate to withdraw from the War. North Vietnam had no problems with a population because they had no elections. The North felt that they could drag the talks out and popular opinion in the US would force American withdrawal. Once the Americans were gone, the South would fall. By dragging the talks on, the North were also recovering their losses from the Tet Offensive.
Vietnamisation • Nixon continued to withdraw troops which angered the generals. He began the policy of “Vietnamisation”; equipping and training the ARVN army to fight for itself. Nixon was not confident that this Army would be able to protect South Vietnam on their own. The bombing continued. • However, it would reduce US casualties in the long run.
Cambodia and My Lai • In 1970, reports came out of Vietnam about a massacre at the village of My Lai. • America also invaded Cambodia in 1970 because they were tired of being unable to chase the VC into Cambodia. This was Nixon showing that despite the peace talks he was still a tough leader. In fact, more American soldiers were killed in Vietnam after Tet than before. • The invasion of Cambodia, My Lai, the failure of peace talks created even more public pressure athome to stop the War.
Demonstration • Page 179 • Read page 179 • Complete task 3. • Thin carefully about task 4 and complete a,b and c.
Review/Evaluate • In two lessons time you will be sitting your end of unit assessment on the Vietnam War. Your teacher will give you a work sheet that you must revise from in order to do well on this assessment. It is in the lesson folder and on the bottom of TGI Space.