The peace process and end of the war Flashcards

All 8 cards in this deck

Give one reason the USA entered peace negotiations in 1972–73 linked to Nixon's election.

Nixon had been elected on a programme that included a promise to work towards the end of the war.

Give one reason, linked to international relations, why the USA wanted to withdraw from Vietnam by 1972–73.

Détente with the USSR and rapprochement with China meant the USA wanted to withdraw from the war.

What was agreed in the Paris Peace Agreement (1973)?

A ceasefire, the withdrawal of all US troops and the return of prisoners of war; North Vietnamese troops stayed in the South.

What were the economic costs of Operation Rolling Thunder for the USA?

Over $900 million and the loss of over 900 US aircraft; roughly $10 was spent on bombs for every $1 of damage done.

True or false? The Paris Peace Agreement (1973) ended fighting in Vietnam for good.

False. North Vietnam invaded the South again and Saigon fell in April 1975.

What was the economic cost of the Vietnam War for the USA?

Spending rose from under half a billion dollars in 1964 to about $26 billion a year by 1968. It drove up the budget deficit and inflation, and took money away from Johnson's 'Great Society' reforms.

What was the human cost of the Vietnam War for the USA?

About 58,000 Americans died and around 300,000 were wounded. Many veterans also suffered drug addiction and lasting psychological problems.

Why did the peace deal agreed in October 1972 not end the war at once?

South Vietnam's President Thieu rejected it because North Vietnamese troops could stay in the South. Nixon then ordered heavy bombing of the North, and the final agreement was signed in Paris in January 1973.