Nixon was elected the president of United States of America 1968 on the promise that he would take a different approach to end the Vietnam War. Consequently, halting American engagement in Vietnam was his greatest challenge. Having known that Vietnam Wars was his greatest burden, Nixon explored diplomatic options that attracted positive public opinions. He orchestrated a peace talk that led to the withdrawal of US soldiers from Vietnam. This reduced the number of American casualties in the war. The war ended in 1974 when the South Vietnamese forces were defeated by the North Vietnamese troops (Young & Buzzanco, 2002).
Whether America was defeated or not is a subject of intense debate. Irrespective of defeat or victory there are important lessons that Americans leant from the War especially during the first term of President Nixon between 1969 and 1971.
American learnt that military engagement cannot be successful without the support of the citizens. By 1969, it was becoming clear that Vietnam War was unpopular with Americans. The Americans wanted an end to the war because the growing number causalities. They held demonstrations to compel the president and the Congress to withdraw American forces from Vietnam. Notable demonstrations were the “March to Washington” in November 1969 and the Kent State University protest in 1970. This was receiving opposition even from the Congress. In 1970, the Senate passed a law to that prohibited military engagement in Laos and Thailand. The law referred to Copper Amendment was amended in the same year. The amendment again barred the president from barred from reintroducing troops in Cambodia (Frankum, 2011).
Nixon realized that the engagement in Vietnam would not succeed without the support from the people and the Congress. Consequently, he advocated for the involvement of South Vietnamese in the war while US provide the funding. This was captured in the peace agreement between US, South Vietnam and North Vietnam in early 1970s. Although, US forces were withdrawn from Vietnam, the objectives of the war were not fulfilled. The communist North Vietnam defeated the pro-American South Vietnam. It can be concluded, that the US was defeated in the war because, the war was not approved by the public.
It was during the Nixon’s second term in office that American soldiers were completely withdrawn from Vietnam. While, the action was applauded by many Americans, it brought doubts on US commitment to its allies. The important lesson learnt is that had Americans fulfilled its commitment to South Vietnamese, the North Vietnamese army would have been defeated. The main reason why US got involved in Vietnamese issues was to contain the influence of communism in South East Asia (Brigham, 2008). Long before Vietnam War erupted, US supported the French in Indochina war because she did not want the Vietnam to fall into the hand of communists. After were defeated, the US shifted its support to South Vietnam led by Ngo Diem. US failed to honor some of the commitment it had made to South Vietnam during Nixon’s presidency.
It appeared from the onset of the war that Vietnam conflict involved complex ideological issues which required long term commitments. The North Vietnam was receiving substantial financial support from China and Russia because of communism leanings. Consequently, it was expected that US would support the South Vietnam until the country achieve its objective. Any defeat would mean victory for Russia and China. President Nixon was more concerned with the withdrawal of American from Vietnam even though it was clear that South Vietnam forces could not defend themselves against the well armed North Vietnam troops. When the South Vietnam opposed the ceasefire agreement in 1972, Nixon exerted pressure on both sides to sign the agreement. The involvement of US soldiers in Vietnam War finally ended in 1973 when the agreement was signed by all parties (Solheim, 2006).
America broke its promise to support the South Vietnam against the North Vietnam by withdrawing its forces from Vietnam. The country could not stage effective offensive and defensive military action against its adversaries. Consequently, it was defeated in 1974. The Congress too, denied South Vietnam the funds needed to sustain military operation after the withdrawal of US troops. These occurrences portrayed US as a country that does not honor its commitment to its allies.
In conclusion, I wish to mention that the history course gave me the opportunity to learn the history and the implications of the Vietnam War. I also learnt about the roles different presidents played in the war. More importantly, it broadened my understanding of international politics. The war shaped American foreign policy in South East Asia. Before the war, US did not have any diplomatic engagement with China. However, in 1972, US began to involve China in resolving Vietnam issues. My role as a historian studying Vietnam War involved analyzing the literature about the war and relating it to American society as it exists today. The War veterans’ memorial is an indication that Vietnam War had a great impact on the lives of American. My role as observer of this history was influenced by what had been written about the war. Therefore, historian should endeavor to provide accurate, objective and unbiased information because many people rely on their accounts. Studying world past is of value to me because I get to know about past events and appreciate their influence on the present world.
References
Brigham, R. K. (2008). Iraq, Vietnam and the limits of American power. New York, NY: PublicAffairs.
Frankum, R. B. (2011). Historical dictionary of the war in Vietnam. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press.
Solheim, B. O. (2006). The Vietnam War era: A personal journey. Westport, Conn: Praeger Publishers.
Young, M. B., & Buzzanco, R. (2002). A companion to the Vietnam War. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.
