The Vietnam War ~ Lesson 4 The United States Leaves Vietnam
When Richard Nixon became President in 1968, he said he would end the war. He and his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, planned "Vietnamization" of the war. This included the following:
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The U.S. soldiers began training the Vietnamese soldiers to take over the fighting.
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Many American troops were taken out of Vietnam.
In 1971, bombing of North Vietnam began again. Soldiers were sent to Cambodia to find Communists. Planes were sent to bomb Cambodia and cut off the supplies being sent to North Vietnam.
In 1973, Congress refused to allow more money for the bombing of Cambodia. Finally Kissinger was able to get a ceasefire. In early 1973, American troops were pulled out of Vietnam. American Prisoners of War were released. After 20 years of fighting, the Vietnam War was over.
The United States lost 58,220 soldiers with another 303,644 soldiers wounded. An estimated 480,538 to 807,564 people died fighting for South Vietnam. Another 455,462 to 1,170,462 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong died in the war.
