Richard Nixon

 

          When Nixon access function, some 300 American soldiers were dying each week in Vietnam, and the war was extremely unpopular in the United States, where violent protests against the war were held. Johnson Administration had agreed to suspend bombing negotiations without preconditions in order, but the agreement did not come into full effect. According to Walter Isaacson, shortly after it took office, Nixon concluded that the Vietnam War could not be won and was determined to end quickly. Black, on the other hand, states that Nixon believed sincerely that can intimidate North Vietnam by "Madman Theory." Nixon sought an arrangement allowing the withdrawal of US forces, South Vietnam while keeping safe from any attack.

     Nixon approved a secret bombing campaign of North Vietnamese positions and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in March 1969 (code-named Operation Menu) a policy begun by Johnson. These operations have resulted in massive bombing of Cambodia; they threw more bombs on Cambodia during Johnson and Nixon than his allies threw in all of World War II. In mid-1969, Nixon began efforts to negotiate peace with the North Vietnamese, sending a personal letter to North Vietnamese leaders, and started peace talks in Paris. But initial discussions have not led to any agreement. [134] In May 1969, he proposed public withdrawal of all US troops from South Vietnam, provided that North Vietnam to do the same, so in South Vietnam to hold free elections under international supervision with the participation of Viet Cong.

             In July 1969, the Nixon visited South Vietnam and met with American military commanders and President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu⁠. Amid protests in the country, calling for immediate withdrawal, implemented a strategy of replacing US troops with Vietnamese troops, a strategy known as "Vietnamization". Soon, he instituted phased withdrawal of US troops but authorized incursions into Laos, in part to disrupt Ho Chi Minh⁠ road used to supply the North Vietnamese forces, the road which ran through Laos and Cambodia. Nixon announced the American public land invasion of Cambodia on 30 April 1970. The response to the protesters included an ad hoc meeting held with them early morning at Lincoln Memorial on 9 May 1970. Documents taken from Soviet archives after 1991 shows that the attempt north Vietnamese to conquer Cambodia in 1970 was launched at the explicit request of the Khmer Rouge and was negotiated by Pol Pot's second, Nuon Chea⁠. Nixon's campaign promise to stop the war was in sharp contrast to the escalation of the bombing, which led to allegations that Nixon suffered from a "disability credibilitate⁠" in this matter.