Richard Nixon became president in 1969. He had promised to end the war in Vietnam but did not want to the North to win. His strategy of Vietnamisation was to train up the ARVN (the army of South Vietnam) so that it could fight successfully without the US. US troops would gradually withdraw but at the same time, the US would increase the bombing of North Vietnam in an attempt to encourage them to agree to peace.

The first US troops were withdrawn in 1969 and by the end of 1971 there were only 140 000 left. Vietnamisation was not a success. The ARVN were not as strong as the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and suffered a number of defeats. Morale in the US army plummeted with Search and Destroy patrols becoming "Search and Avoid." The increased bombing of Vietnam, together with the invasions of Cambodia and Laos were extremely unpopular back in the US and reduced support for the war further.

US Troop Numbers in Vietnam

GCSE Conflict in Asia 1950 - 1975 AQA

Vietnamisation