Richard Nixon Speech on Vietnam Article Critique

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("Cambodia and Laos," n.d.)

Then, when Nixon begins talking about peace negotiations with the North, is when he is providing a glimpse into a shift in strategy. Where, the U.S. will play China and the Soviet Union against one another. This is important because, American forces were restricted from conducting air strikes in the North. The ability to forge an alliance with China allowed Nixon to begin bombing Hanoi. This is significant because the Christmas bombings of Hanoi (in 1972) were arguably one element that helped pushed the North Vietnamese to sign the Paris Peace Treaty of 1973. ("Linebacker II Bombing Raids," n.d.)

In one aspect, Nixon is correct in that the future of his strategy will bring the North Vietnamese to the bargaining table. However, the North would not give up on their ambitions for a unified Vietnam, as they would wait until Nixon was no longer in power. At which point, they would test the new President and Congress' resolve for renewing the war once again. What all of this shows, is that the arguments made by Nixon were correct in the short-term. Yet, in the medium to long-term, the different actions that were encouraged by Nixon only made the situation worse.

Clearly, the different arguments made by Richard Nixon during this speech were designed to sway the opinions of the American public in support of such policies. In the short-term the different arguments that were made by Nixon were sound, as they would help reduce the NVA's ability to wage war and allow for a reduction of American forces.

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However, the medium to long-term implications meant that the war would escalate. Where, Vietnam's neighbors would quickly become engulfed in civil wars. This would lead to the genocide that occurred in Cambodia during the 1970's. Then, when Nixon is stating his ambitions for a cease fire and a peace treaty, he is indicating that he will use a similar policy for forcing a negotiated peace with the North. The problem with such thinking is that, this would bring about a peace treaty and allow American forces to withdraw from the country. However, this would not bring a lasting peace as the North would wait for the day when Nixon is not President. At which point, they would renew the war once again. This is what makes the policy moves that the President was engaging in over the medium to long-term as failures. Where, the escalation of the war would do little if anything to bring about lasting peace. Instead, a lasting peace was achieved when; neither President Ford nor Congress had a desire to renew the war, when the North would reinvade the South in 1975. This is why the different arguments made by Nixon are correct over the short-term, but disastrous over the long-term. It is through examining the different ideas presented in the speech in this light; that provides the greatest insights as to what policy decisions shaped the outcome of the Vietnam War......

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