Module 7: Nixon and Vietnam

Nixon and Vietnam

Richard Nixon’s approach to the Vietnam War was a central issue during the 1968 election. As the Republican candidate, Nixon ran on a platform of restoring order to the country, which had been shaken by civil unrest, widespread protests against the war, and a general sense of disillusionment with LBJ's handling of the conflict. His Democratic opponent, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, was seen as closely tied to the policies of the outgoing President Lyndon B. Johnson, who had escalated American involvement in Vietnam. Nixon, in contrast, promised to end the war with "honor" and to bring "peace with honor," offering voters a way out of the quagmire without appearing to abandon South Vietnam to the communists. He claimed he had a "secret plan" for achieving peace, though the specifics of that plan were never disclosed during the campaign. Nixon's rhetoric tapped into growing frustration with the war and his message resonated with Americans who were eager for a change in leadership.

However, in the months leading up to the election, Nixon’s campaign was accused of engaging in covert actions to undermine the peace negotiations between the U.S. and North Vietnam. It was later revealed that Nixon’s campaign had communicated with South Vietnamese officials, urging them not to participate in peace talks brokered by President Johnson’s administration. This interference, often referred to as the "October Surprise," was intended to ensure that peace negotiations would not lead to a ceasefire before the election, which could have hurt Nixon’s chances. The South Vietnamese government, under President Thieu, ultimately refused to engage in the talks, and the peace process stalled. Nixon’s victory in the 1968 election was secured in part by these actions, which delayed any meaningful peace negotiations until after he took office in 1969.

Once in office, Nixon took steps to reduce American involvement in Vietnam, but his strategy was far from the immediate withdrawal that many had hoped for. Nixon’s policy of "Vietnamization" aimed to shift the burden of combat onto the South Vietnamese, building up their military forces while gradually withdrawing American troops. However, Nixon also escalated the war in other ways, most notably through the secret bombing campaign known as the "Menu bombings," which targeted North Vietnamese supply routes and sanctuaries in neighboring Cambodia and Laos. These bombings, which were kept secret from the American public and Congress, were part of Nixon’s broader strategy to weaken the North Vietnamese without directly expanding the war. The bombings, which escalated in intensity throughout Nixon’s first years in office, were later revealed and provoked outrage when it became clear that the administration had lied about its scope and intentions. Nixon’s policies, including his attempts to end the war through negotiation while secretly expanding the bombing campaign, would contribute to the deepening divisions in the U.S. and further fuel the anti-war movement, setting the stage for the prolonged and increasingly contentious debate over America’s role in Vietnam.