President Nixon was a hard core (tough) man. He had lost his first election bid for the presidency in 1960 to John F. Kennedy, mainly because, on the world's first televised presidential debate, in black & white TV of course, in those days, people (voters) commented on his "shadow, from lack of shaving." Appearance counts alot with human beings. Among other reasons, he lost the presidential election. Always fighting to get what he wanted, he finally gains the White House nearly ten years later. Fighting and losing, but NEVER giving up, became his trademark. But it also HARDENED him! The famous WWII US Air Force General, GEN Curtis LeMay had just recently retired from the Air Force in 1965. But kept in touch with presidents, as most GENERALS & ADMIRALS do. GEN Lemay, in discussing North Vietnam, stated, "...bomb them back into the STONE AGE!" Lemay & Nixon were both cut from the same cloth. That statement meant the "B-52's" (Stratofortress). Nixon would pull the US out of Vietnam alright. Just as he promised during his election campaign. But in the process, he was going to try to bring the north to their knees. Nixon ordered ground invasions into Cambodia & Laos (1970-1971), something no other president dared to do. He then ordered his favorite weapon, the B-52, to pound North Vietnam, including the harbors and the capital (with orders not to bomb the presidential buildings) in two air campaigns; Linebacker & Linebacker II (Nixon was a football fan), the latter air campaign was to be a "maximum effort" aerial bombing, and was dubbed the "Christmas bombing" by the press, as it happened near Christmas time. Again, no other president dared use B-52's to bomb those areas. When US ground forces began to re-deploy home, the B-52's where used everytime the NVA used conventional ground forces (tanks) to invade the south; up until 1973. When Nixon's B-52's left South Vietnam for good, in 1973, the north regrouped, and came down again in '75 with tanks & artillery...and won the war.
As part of the COLD WAR, it was a fight against the spread of communism.
The Vietnam war
North Vietnam=Air War South Vietnam=Ground & Riverine War
debate over Vietnam War
It is somewhat like Korea. After the harsh colonial French Master had been soundly defeated by the Vietnamese, two groups of people had two different ideologies. One group was the Vietcong, Vietnamese Communists who were located in North Vietnam. The other group supported the idea of Democracy, and were located in South Vietnam. Note: North Vietnam had finally won the Vietnam War in 1970s with the aid of China and USSR (Soviet Union.). The Americans lost because the troops were not willing to fight the war as Vietnam was far from US and the troops couldn't see the point of winning the war.
Probably economic problem, disunity within Vietnam (Yes- some wanted Vietnam to be communist, they were called Vietcong and while the rest wanted a republic type of government which resulted into North & South Vietnam that was later in the end of 1970s, the failure of South Vietnam which is a democratic nation, North Vietnam had attempt and succeed in reunify Vietnam into communist.) and under French's harsh leadership.
1970s
The Vietnam war
Vietnam War
North Vietnam=Air War South Vietnam=Ground & Riverine War
The Vietnam War was a major problem and the continued draft.
The war in Vietnam
The Vietnam War was a major problem and the continued draft.
Vietman
Ton Duc Thang, the vice president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), was then become the president, after Ho Chi Minh's dead in 1969. However, the real successor is Duan Le, secretary General of the Vietnam Labour Party. Duan held power during the the 1970s until his dead in 1986. it was said that Duan actually took control of the North Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh in the mid 1960s.
debate over Vietnam War
Sounds about right. Nixon opened up trade with Red China in the 1970s and Clinton opened trade with Vietnam in the 1990s. Note: North & South Vietnam no longer existed from 1975/76 to present.
It is somewhat like Korea. After the harsh colonial French Master had been soundly defeated by the Vietnamese, two groups of people had two different ideologies. One group was the Vietcong, Vietnamese Communists who were located in North Vietnam. The other group supported the idea of Democracy, and were located in South Vietnam. Note: North Vietnam had finally won the Vietnam War in 1970s with the aid of China and USSR (Soviet Union.). The Americans lost because the troops were not willing to fight the war as Vietnam was far from US and the troops couldn't see the point of winning the war.