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• Doves


  Those who pushed for an end to the war
• White House administrations expected the support of their party when they were in power
• Democrats who had been 'hawks' under Johnson (because he was a Democrat)

  Became doves' as soon as Nixon (a Republican) came to power
• Some wanted to do what would make them popular and not want the USA to lose face
• The war cost $167 billion
• The possibility of starting a war with the USSR or China


  Growing criticism from other nations
• The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) was passed unanimously in the House and only two votes against in the Senate
• As time passed, Congress became less favourable to the war

  But kept on funding it
• Reasons Congress kept funding the war

  • The military kept assuring the government that victory was close
  • They did not want the USA (a rich and powerful country) to be beaten by North Vietnam
• Reactions in Congress shifted after events such as the Tet Offensive, or speeches such as Nixon's 'silent majority' speech


  Congress was also influenced by public opinion
• Congress likely to express anti-war sentiments


  If there had been a large, peaceful anti-war demonstration
• When anti-war demonstrations became violent

  Congress tended to shift towards being pro-war
• In 1970, Congress put restrictions on how money for the war could be spent
• Wars cost money. Presidents have to get Congress to pass laws to raise taxes and other funds for a war
• Congress was told if the war lasted until 1967, would cost under $10 billion. Real cost was $20 billion
• On 24 June 1970, Congress repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and set a limit on the funding for US troops in Cambodia, giving a 30 June cut-off point for involvement in Cambodia. Set date for the final withdrawals of troops as the end of 1971
• After the Paris Peace Accords, Congress refused to give as much funding to the South Vietnamese government as Nixon had promised
• Media reported on the Vietnam War and civil rights at the same time

  Us police and troops were shown using violence against civilians
• Americans saw the USA as only nation able to stand up to communism
• It was a shock to find that many people saw them as supporting a corrupt regime and fighting a war
• Publicity over the treatment of civil rights protestors meant that the USSR and China could easily criticise the USA
• Regular demonstrations against the war in Vietnam in many countries from 1965, but events such as My Lai sparked off bigger protests
• A photograph showing Vietnamese children (Kim) running, which had been bombed with napalm on 8 June 1972
• Nick Ut, the photographer who took the photo took the children to the hospital
• The New York Times decided to use the photos. The next day there were anti-war protests all over the world
• Secret talks


  Negotiations that are kept confidential
• The Paris peace talks went nowhere
• Nixon held talks with both China and the USSR, hoping to end the Cold War
• North Vietnamese, fearing an end to aid, agreed to secret peace talks in 1970
• South Vietnamese government did not know about these talks
• The USA was considering abandoning the South Vietnamese government, led by President Thieu, if they could get an agreement on an independent South Vietnam
• North Vietnamese made it clear they would not accept any government led by Thieu
• Moving towards restarting talks, 1970-72

  1. Nixon felt USA had to seem willing to negotiate but should be strong enough not to be pushed to accept unfavourable terms

  2. He kept pressure on North Vietnam to agree by: continuing official negotiations

  3. continuing secret negotiations

  4. continuing the process of Vietnamisation

  5. continuing fighting and bombing

  6. continuing meetings with the USSR and China, negotiating an end to the Cold War
• USA under increasing pressure
• Congress was cutting funding and opposition to the war was rising
• People were tired of the war, and the amount of time it was taking to bring the troops home
• 1972: North Vietnamese launched their Easter Offensive, their first big attack since Tet
• The US bombing that followed, showed both sides that the war could drag on for years
• Talks, 1972-73


  1. 8 October 1972: USA and North Vietnam produced an agreement at the official Paris talks, agreed in their secret meetings

  2. Thieu refused to sign. He was furious that the agreement that he had no part in making was being forced on him

  3. N. Vietnamese accused US of using South Vietnam's refusal to back out of the agreement

  4. The talks broke and an increased lack of trust on all sides

  5. Nixon tried.resumed heavy bombing of North Vietnam to encourage talks

  6. Nixon persuaded Thieu to come to the talks by promising an delivery of weapons, supplies and aid, as well as yearly supplies after that

  7. Nixon encouraged China and the USSR to press the N. Vietnamese to reach an agreement
• Huge barriers to agreement

  • whether to unite Vietnam and how to unite Vietnam
  • who governed South Vietnam: the government the USA supported, or the National Liberation Front - now renamed the Provisional Revolutionary Government
  • troop withdrawals from South Vietnam on both sides