When the media exposed that Nixon had secretly extended the war effort into Cambodia, authorizing our combat troops to eradicate enemy sanctuaries, lawless outrage erupted in the U.S. The anti-war activism gained momentum in reaction to an invasion of a supposedly neutral country in Indochina. The public uproar, fanned by mostly negative press, accused Nixon […]
The Vietnam War Revisited – Part XXI – Vietnamization Speech Reactions
The Nixon administration’s abrupt decision to radically change the rules of engagement in the Vietnam War was met with both positive and negative reactions at home and abroad. From the military’s standpoint it had pluses and minuses. From North Vietnam’s viewpoint, it presented an opportunity. Would the Nixon doctrine alter the course of the conflict […]
The Vietnam War Revisited- Part XX – “Vietnamization”
“Vietnamization” – That was the title of Nixon’s nationally televised address delivered in hopes of settling the crescendo of public discord over Vietnam; a war dividing the country angrily into “Hawks” and “Doves.” That speech required maneuvering through a political minefield, a history of failed negotiations, pervading media hostility and anti-war bias, plus fake news. […]
The Vietnam War Revisited- Part XIX- Nixon’s Early Challenges
To say Nixon inherited a mess would be a masterful understatement. He soon found he could not persuade the enemy come to acceptable terms either, encountering LBJ’s dilemma. Kissinger’s and other envoys’ intense negotiations failed. Ho Chi Minh died in September, 1969, but his government maintained his recalcitrant policy and goal with tenacity and devotion. […]
The Vietnam War Revisited- Part XVIII – More of the Same?
They don’t play beanball in Washington, D.C. Politics is a blood sport. LBJ was a political animal who recognized reality- Vietnam was a dead end for him, the war dividing the Nation, losing popular support, and threatening the demise of the Democratic party. Losing a reelection in November 1968 would be the ultimate humiliation. So, […]
The Vietnam war Revisited- Part XVII – LBJ Out, Nixon In
To see all of the posts in this series, please scroll to the bottom of this post. In a nationally televised address attempting to quell growing public dissent by explaining his administration’s failed efforts at negotiating “peace” with North Vietnam, LBJ shocked the world by announcing he would not run for reelection in November, 1968. […]
