Nixon - Vietnamization Speech

7/28/2019 Nixon - Vietnamization Speech

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A GREAT NEW WORLD: AN INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN CIVILIZATIONProf. OCTAVIAN ROSKE

Week 13

Students: Augustin Cristea, 2

nd

year, group 5Georgeta Mirela Iacob, 2nd year, group 4Cristina Elisabeta Preda, 2nd year, group 5Mihaela Tirlea, 2nd year, group 3Alexandra Velicu, 2nd year, group 4

January 9th 2012

Vietnamization Speech, November 3, 1969Richard Milhous Nixon

The defense of freedom is everybody's business not just America's business. Richard Nixon

I. Biography of the author: Richard Nixon(Mihaela Tirlea)

Richard Nixon was the 37th president of the United States. He was born in California in 1913. He graduated from Whittier College and Duke

University Law School before beginning the practice of law.

During World War II, Nixon served as a Navy lieutenant commander in the Pacific. On leaving the service, he was elected to Congress from his California district. In

1950, he won a Senate seat. Two years later, General Eisenhower selected Nixon, age

39, to be his running mate.

As Vice President, Nixon took on major duties in the Eisenhower Administration.Nominated for President by acclamation in 1960, he lost by a narrow margin to John

F. Kennedy. In 1968, he again won his party's nomination, and went on to defeat Vice

President Hubert H. Humphrey and third-party candidate George C. Wallace.

His accomplishments while in office included revenue sharing, the end of the draft,new anticrime laws, and a broad environmental program.

Some of his most acclaimed achievements came in his quest for world stability. Forexample, during visits in 1972 to Beijing and Moscow, he reduced tensions withChina and the U.S.S.R.

Reconciliation was the first goal set by President Richard M. Nixon. The nation waspainfully divided, with turbulence in the cities and war overseas. During his

Presidency, Nixon succeeded in ending American fighting in Vietnam and improving

relations with the U.S.S.R. and China. But the Watergate scandal brought fresh

divisions to the country and ultimately led to his resignation.


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II. Historical Context(Alexandra Velicu)

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam,Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975.This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam,supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supportedby the United States and other anti-communist nations.

1858-1884 - France invades Vietnam and makes Vietnam a colony. October 1930 - Ho Chi Minh helps found the Indochinese Communist Party. September 1940 - Japan invades Vietnam. May 1941 - Ho Chi Minh establishes the Viet Minh (League for the Independence of

Vietnam). September 2, 1945 - Ho Chi Minh declares an independent Vietnam, called the

Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

January 1950 - The Viet Minh receive military advisors and weapons from China. July 1950 - The United States pledges $15 million worth of military aid to France tohelp them fight in Vietnam.

May 7, 1954 - The French suffer a decisive defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. July 21, 1954 - The Geneva Accords creates a cease-fire for the peaceful withdrawal

of the French from Vietnam and provides a temporary boundary between North andSouth Vietnam at the 17th parallel.

October 26, 1955 - South Vietnam declares itself the Republic of Vietnam, withnewly elected Ngo Dinh Diem as president.

December 20, 1960 - The National Liberation Front (NLF), also called the VietCong, is established in South Vietnam.

November 2, 1963 - South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem is executed duringa coup.

August 2 and 4, 1964 - North Vietnamese attack two U.S. destroyers sitting ininternational waters (the Gulf of Tonkin Incident).

August 7, 1964 - In response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, the U.S. Congresspasses the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

March 2, 1965 - A sustained U.S. aerial bombing campaign of North Vietnam begins(Operation Rolling Thunder).

March 8, 1965 - The first U.S. combat troops arrive in Vietnam. January 30, 1968 - The North Vietnamese join forces with the Viet Cong to launch

the Tet Offensive, attacking approximately one hundred South Vietnamese cities and

towns. March 16, 1968 - U.S. soldiers kill hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the town ofMai Lai.

December 1968 - U.S. troops in Vietnam reaches 540,000. July 1969 - President Nixon orders the first of many U.S. troop withdrawals from

Vietnam. September 3, 1969 - Communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh dies at age 79. November 13, 1969 - The American public learns of the Mai Lai massacre.


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April 30, 1970 - President Nixon announces that U.S. troops will attack enemylocations in Cambodia. This news sparks nationwide protests, especially on collegecampuses.

June 13, 1971 - Portions of the Pentagon Papers are published in The New YorkTimes.

March 1972 - The North Vietnamese cross the demilitarized zone (DMZ) at the 17thparallel to attack South Vietnam in what became known as the Easter Offensive.

January 27, 1973 - The Paris Peace Accords are signed that provide a cease-fire. March 29, 1973 - The last U.S. troops are withdrawn from Vietnam. March 1975 - North Vietnam launches a massive assault on South Vietnam. April 30, 1975 - South Vietnam surrenders to the communists. July 2, 1976 - Vietnam is unified as a communist country, the Socialist Republic of

Vietnam. November 13, 1982 - The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. is

dedicated.

III.

Vietnamization Speech, November 3, 1969

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Part(Georgeta Mirela Iacob)

Richard Nixons speech focuses on the involvement of the United States in the war inVietnam, and puts forward what Nixon believes to be the right way to end it.

He begins by admitting that Americans cant be expected to endorse a war policy theydont know or understand correctly.

The President enumerates the main questions the American people have askedthemselves about the war:

- Why and how had America become involved?- Had there been any shift in the policy of the current administration?- How were the negotiations in Paris moving along?- What could be done to end the war and achieve peace?

He describes the situation as he found it at his inauguration: the war had been goingon for 4 years, 31.000 Americans had been killed in Vietnam, the training programfor the South Vietnamese was behind schedule, 540.000 American citizens werestationed in Vietnam, the negotiations in Paris were at a deadlock, and there was greatdivision at home and abroad about Americas entitlement to fight the war.

Nixon explains that while it would have been easy to withdraw all American forcesand blame the war on the previous administration, thus also gaining the sympathy ofthe public, he had a greater obligation than just thinking about his administration, hiseventual future re-election and public opinion. He thought about the effects hisdecision would have on America, and about peace and freedom in the entire world.

He launches into an explanation of Americas initial involvement in the war: NorthVietnam had attempted to impose a Communist regime unto South Vietnam, andPresident Eisenhower had responded to the South Vietnamese Governments requestfor military aid; President Kennedy had continued this policy. Furthermore, PresidentJohnson decided to send American combat forces to South Vietnam.

While Nixon states he doesnt agree with how Johnson handled the war, he intends tofocus on getting the US out of it.


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He lists the main reasons why the US could not at the present time withdraw theirforces, both concerning the South Vietnamese people (doing so would leave them atthe hand of the Communists, who had demonstrated their ruthlessness in Hue) andAmericas future as a nation and global power (Americans would lose confidence inthemselves and their leadership, Americas allies would lose their trust in it); instead

of ending the war, he chose to change Americas policy on negotiations and battle. Nixon then shares the offer he had up until then extended to the North Vietnamese: acomplete withdrawal of their armed forces within a year, a cease-fire underinternational supervision, and free elections in which the Communist party wouldparticipate, with the specification that they would be willing to discuss proposalscoming from either side (bar the South Vietnameses right to free elections).

IV. Vietnamization Speech, November 3, 19692nd Part(Augustin Cristea)

Nixon chooses to emphasize that the people of South Vietnam must determine theirown future. Hanoi refused to collaborate in the negotiations for peace or even discussAmerica`s proposals.

Nixon then shows the Americans some of the initiatives of peace - a settlement madethrough flexible and comprehensive offers, meetings with the representatives of theSoviet Government and even a letter sent to Ho Chi Minh in which Nixon tried toconvince the Vietnamese leader that peace is more powerful than war.

Unfortunately, to the date of this speech, no progress had been made to come to anagreement for peace.

Nixon asks Well now, who is at fault? in an attempt to reject some of the criticsbrought upon him by the American people. He strongly maintains the idea that theobstacle to an attempt to end the war is the other side.

He then turns, slightly encouraging the American nation, to his plan for bringingpeace: to strengthen the South-Vietnamese people in their defense against any kind offoe and to expressively keep a shield for every ally. Many countries in the South -Asian region (like Thailand and South Korea) welcomed this offer.

Nixon speaks about the threat of the Communist aggression pointing towards thereal adversaryThe Soviet Union.

President Nixon then enumerates some results of this long overdue change inAmerican policy in Vietnam: the returning of more than 60.000 combatants and alsothe further strengthening of the South Vietnamese Forces. A plan for the completewithdrawal of all U.S. combat ground forces was adopted. Nixon refers to theenemy as to an enemy of peace that can make a conscious decision to provokefurther aggressions.


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V. Vietnamization Speech, November 3, 19693rd Part(Cristina Elisabeta Preda)

The President states that in the case of Hanoi increasing its violent attacks he will notstand by, but he will retaliate and take the necessary measures if the American forces

in Vietnam are jeopardized. He clearly states that this course of action is not to be taken as a threat by NorthVietnam, but simply as a statement of policy made by him in his ability ofCommander in Chief of the Armed Forces, as it is his responsibility to protect theAmerican fighting men wherever they may be.

The two possible courses of action are presented to the nation:- The immediate withdrawal from Vietnam- Or persistence in the search for peace, either through a negotiated

settlement, or through the plan for Vietnamization. As a responsible leader, Nixon chose the latter, not because it was the easy way, but

because it was the right one.

As a consequence of a withdrawal, the international allies would lose faith inAmerica, and, whats more, the American people would lose their faith, as theywould begin to realize what would follow.

The President tries to encourage the people by reminding them of the crises they havefaced and surpassed in the past, all the while admitting that a part of the citizens ofAmerica consider the withdrawal to be the best course of action. He believes that theprinciple he is defending is precisely thisthe freedom of people to speak their mind,their freedom to have an opinion and to express it, but while he listens to all of thevoices of the people, he has to side with the majority and to think about what is bestfor all in the long run.

He then proceeds to addressing the young people of the Nation, sharing their concernfor peace, explaining that he too wants to end the war, but in a definitive way, so thatit would not erupt again the next year, or the year after that.

Nixon accepts full responsibility for his decisions and actions, asking for the supportof the people because that is the only way that they will succeed.

Invoking Woodrow Wilson, who uttered the famous words "war to end war ,President Nixon chooses to initiate the plan by which he shall support South Vietnam,but not fight their war for them, keeping in mind the Americans best interests and thegoal of a a just and lasting peace.

In the end, he again assumes the responsibility for choosing this path and vows to dothe very best that he can in order to fulfill that goal.

Glossary of terms and names:

B:Battle of Hu (1968) - one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War.The Army of the Republic of Vietnam and three understrength U.S. MarineCorps battalions attacked and defeated more than 10,000 entrenched People's Army of


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Vietnam(PAVN) and National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF, alsoknown as, Viet Cong) guerrilla forces. In the end, although the Allies declared a militaryvictory, the city of Hue was virtually destroyed and more than 5000 civilians were killed,more of them executed by the PAVN and Viet Cong (according to the South Vietnamesegovernment).

C:Cold War, The - the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict,military tension and economic competition between the Communist Worldprimarilythe Soviet Union and its satellite states and alliesand the powers of the Western world,primarily the United States and its NATO allies.Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces - the commander of a nation's militaryforces or significant element of those forces. According to Article II, Section 2, Clause Iof the Constitution, the President of the United States is commander-in-chief of theUnited States Armed Forces.Communism - a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment ofa classless, moneyless, stateless and revolutionary socialist society structured upon

common ownership of the means of production. This movement, in its Marxist-Leninistinterpretations, significantly influenced the history of the 20th century, which saw intenserivalry between the "socialist world" (socialist states ruled by Communist parties) and the"western world" (countries with market economies and Liberal democratic government),culminating in the Cold War between the Eastern bloc and the "Free World".

D:Duke University School of Law, The - the law school and a constituent academic unitof Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States.

E:Eisenhower, Dwight David "Ike" (October 14, 1890March 28, 1969)the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961.Eisenhower Administration, Thethe presidency of Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961)

F:Fall of Saigon orLiberation of Saigon, The - the capture of Saigon, the capital of SouthVietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April30, 1975. The event marked the end of the Vietnam War and the start of a transitionperiod leading to the formal reunification of Vietnam into a communist state.First Indochina War, The - began in French Indochina on December 19, 1946 andlasted until August 1, 1954. Following the reoccupation of Indochina by the Frenchfollowing the end of World War II, the area having fallen to the Japanese, Vietnamlaunched a rebellion against the French authority governing the colonies of French

Indochina.G:Ground forces - military forces that fight on land rather than at sea or in the air.

H:Hanoi - the capital of North Vietnam from 1954 to 1976.H Ch Minh (19 May 1890 2 September 1969) a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninistrevolutionary leader who was prime minister (19451955) and president (19451969) of


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the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). He was a key figure in theformation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945, as well as the People's Armyof Vietnam (PAVN) and the Vietcong during the Vietnam War until his death in 1969.Hu- the capital city of Thua Thien-Hu province, Vietnam.Humphrey Hubert H. - served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice

President of the United States.J:Johnson, Lyndon Baines (August 27, 1908January 22, 1973) the 36th President ofthe United States (19631969), a position he assumed after his service as the 37th VicePresident of the United States (19611963). He is one of only four people[1] who servedin all four elected federal offices of the United States: Representative, Senator, VicePresident and President.[2]

K:Kennedy, John F. - the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until hisassassination in 1963

N:Nixon, Richard Milhous (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994)the 37th President of theUnited States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixonhad previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36thVice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961.North Vietnam, also known as The Democratic Republic of Vietnam - a communiststate that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the GenevaConference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First IndochinaWar, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout the country.

P:Paris Peace Accords of 1973, Thenegotiations intended to establish peace in Vietnam

and bring an end to the Vietnam War; they ended direct U.S. military involvement, andtemporarily stopped the fighting between North and South Vietnam.Pentagon Papers,The (officially titled United StatesVietnam Relations,19451967: A Study Prepared by the Department of Defense)a United States Departmentof Defense history of the United States' political-military involvement in Vietnam from1945 to 1967. The papers were first brought to the attention of the public on the frontpage of the New York Times in 1971.Previous Administration, The (as reffered to in the text)President Lyndon B.Johnsons administration (19631969).

R:Revenue sharing - the sharing of profits and losses among different groups. One form

shares between the general partner(s) and limited partners in a limited partnership.

S:Saigonnow known as Ho Chi Minh City, it is the largest city in Vietnam. Under thename Saigon, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochin-china and later of theindependent state of South Vietnam from 1955-75.South Korea - a sovereign state located in the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula.


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South Vietnam - a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It receivedinternational recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" (194955) and later as the"Republic of Vietnam" (195575). Its capital was Saigon. The terms "South Vietnam"and "North Vietnam" became common usage in 1954 at the time of the GenevaConference, which partitioned Vietnam into communist and non-communist zones at the

17th parallel. South Vietnam was a client state of the United States during the VietnamWar.Soviet Union, The - officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, it was aconstitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991. The SovietUnion was a single-party state ruled by the Communist Party from its foundation until1990. Even though the USSR was technically a union of 15 subnational Sovietrepublics, its government and economy was highly centralized.

T:Tet Offensive, The - a military campaign during the Vietnam War that began on January31, 1968. The purpose of the offensive was to strike military and civilian command andcontrol centers throughout South Vietnam and to spark a general uprising among the

population that would then topple the Saigon government, thus ending the war in a singleblowTonkin Gulf Resolution, The (officially, Asia Resolution, Public Law 88-408) - alegislative measure which the United States Congress passed on August 10, 1964 inresponse to a sea battle between the North Vietnamese Navy's Torpedo Squadron10135and the destroyer USS Maddox on August 2 and an alleged second navalengagement between North Vietnamese boats and the US destroyers USS Maddox andUSS Turner Joy on August 4 in the Tonkin Gulf; both naval actions are knowncollectively as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.

V:Viet Cong or National Liberation Front (NLF), The - a political organization and

army in South Vietnam and Cambodia that fought the United States and SouthVietnamese governments during the Vietnam War.Vietnam War, The - a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos,and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This warfollowed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported byits communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the UnitedStates and other anti-communist nations.Vietnamization - a policy of the Richard M. Nixon administration during the VietnamWar, to "expand, equip, and train South Vietnam's forces and assign to them an ever-increasing combat role, at the same time steadily reducing the number of U.S. combattroops."

W:Wallace, George C. - an American politician and the 45th Governor of Alabama.Watergate scandal, The - a political scandal during the 1970s in the United Statesresulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters atthe Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration'sattempted cover-up of its involvement. Effects of the scandal eventually led to theresignation of Richard Nixon, the President of the United States, on August 9, 1974; the


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only resignation of a U.S. President. The scandal also resulted in the indictment, trial,conviction and incarceration of 43 people, including dozens of top Nixon administrationofficials.Whittier College - a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California.Wilson, Thomas Woodrow - The 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to

1921. The famous phrase "war to end war" was uttered during the First World War, and itmeant that he wanted to build a basis for peace that would prevent future catastrophicwars and needless death and destruction. He was the one to launch the proposal for theLeague of Nations.

Bibliography:"Communism." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2012.

."Democratic Republic of Vietnam." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan.

2012. ."Dwight D. Eisenhower." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2012.

."Eisenhower Administration (19531961), United States National Security Policy."Internet FAQ Archives - Online Education - Faqs.org. Web. 07 Jan. 2012..

"George Wallace." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2012..

"Ho Chi Min." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2012..

"Hubert Humphrey." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2012..

"John F. Kennedy." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2012..

"Revenue Sharing." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2012..

"Richard M. Nixon." The White House. Web. 05 Jan. 2012..

"South Vietnam." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2012..

"Soviet Union." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2012..

"Vietnam War." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2012..

Anderson, David L. Columbia Guide to the Vietnam War. 2004Kutler, Stanley.Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War. 1996.O'Connell, Kim A.Primary Source Accounts of the Vietnam War. 2006Witz, James J. The Tet Offensive: Intelligence Failure in War. 1991***. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Richard Nixon, 1969, pp.

901-909.***. Pentagon Papers, The. Gravel ed. 5 vol. 1971

Documents

Nixon - Vietnamization Speech