In 1967 the tide of opinion in the US began to turn against American involvement in Vietnam. As more ground troops were sent in and the death toll rose, first the newspapers and then television networks withdrew their support for the administration. Images and stories selected specifically to shock increased domestic unrest and many large demonstrations against the war were held across the US. Civil rights campaigners highlighted the injustice of civilian deaths in Vietnam and lead people to question the reasons for the conflict. In the last months of 1967 key figures in the administration and even Senate hard-liners turned against the war.
Financial considerations too were highlighted. At the peak of the campaign under Johnson $25 billion per year were being spent on the war at a time when the arms race and the space programme were also soaking up money.
The situation reached its peak in 1968 following the ‘Tet Offensive’ by the Vietcong. This was a major attack on many towns and cities in South Vietnam, including the American embassy in Saigon. Americans at home were shocked that the Vietcong could launch such a massive attack after Johnson had insisted that they were nearly beaten and were incapable of such a feat. Because the media was now against Johnson’s policies, the Newspapers and TV portrayed the ‘Tet Offensive’ as a Vietcong success. In fact the Vietcong suffered more than twice the losses than the US troops and the South Vietnamese did together.
The little faith that remained in the government’s handling of the war, was now lost, which lead to Johnson standing down as presidential candidate in the next elections. He said:
"I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes or to any duties other than the awesome duties of this office -- the presidency of your country. Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president."
He devoted the remainder of his term to attempting to negotiate a peace in Vietnam.
Richard Nixon was elected on the basis that he had an ‘honourable way to disengage American troops.’ This policy, called Vietnamization, involved strengthening the native troops allowing withdrawal of all American troops which were now at half a million. While the US troops were being withdrawn, the North Vietnamese were planning another major offensive that would finally overthrow the South Vietnamese Government. To bolster South Vietnam against further attacks from North Vietnam, Richard Nixon’s Secretary of Defence initiated Project Enhance which was $2 billion worth of military equipment being rushed over to South Vietnam to strengthen their defences.
Nixon’s policy gradually reduced military involvement in Vietnam and on 27th of January 1973 a peace agreement between the US and North Vietnam was signed.
By the end of March 1973, all U.S. fighting forces had been withdrawn. President Nixon gave assurances of future support to the South if the North were to breach the terms of the treaty but further military assistance to South Vietnam became politically impossible. One reason for this was the collapse of Nixon’s political authority due to the Watergate scandal which eventually forced his resignation.
To conclude, America pulled out of the war because it was war weary with no end in sight. The American people could no longer be persuaded that the war was either justified or winnable.
Daniel Allan
11GS