-
Further 47,000 US troops withdraw
-
Withdrawal begins w/543,000 US troops leave
-
Secret meetings w/ Hanoi FAIL
Nixon hoped to ^ relations with/ China USSR so they pressure Hanoi during negotiations -
Operation Menu
A bombing offensive in Cambodia
HOS Prince Norodom Sihanouk made agreements with/ Chinese to allow VC to establish bases in cambodia -
ARVN numbers rise
1 million by 1970 -
Domestic opposition ^
Kent STATE uni protests where 4 students passed away
= US senate revoke GOTR -
Extension into Loas Op. Lam Son 719 ( feb 8 to march)
30,000 strong ARVN invasion of Laos + air support
= strong resistance and so forces withdraw
+ Thieu had ordered retreat if 3000+ casualties were reached -
Northern Spring Offensive
ARVN demonstrate capability to successfully oppose NV BUT inflict 5x more casualties w/ US bomb raids -
Beijing visit
-
Further 156,000 US troops leave
^ popularity domestically -
Nixon's leniency
Offered to set a date for US withdrawal in return for Hanoi not supplying the South and a ceasefire, Hanoi refuses until 1972 due to:
-allied pressure
-US bombing
-torturous interrogation tactics under US operation Phoenix -
SALT I
Signed w/ USSR -
Madman theory
Nixon's reps' ploy to convince Hanoi that Nixon was unpredictable and hated comm = likely to deploy nuclear weapons eventually -
Extension into Cambodia develops
Phnom Penh encircled by Communists and pro-US leader Lon Nol required US assistance
Nixon fears Comm. takeover in Cambodia since Khmer Rouge its Viet allies advance to Phnom Penh ( to overthrow Nol)
Cambodia's neutrality was established. in Geneva Accords 1945 w/ NV as a co-signitory but NV doesn't seem to honour it by establishing bases in Cambodia