The U.S. supported the Thieu regime in an election so fraudulent all opponents withdrew.
The war officially ended in 1973; Nixon resigned in 1974 so did no t preside over the rout of the South Vietnamese in 1975 when the North took over the entire country.
Results for America:
One and a half million counted dead in Indochina, 58,000 of whom were Americans. Millions maimed. Over 500,000 refugees.
Between 1965 and 1971, the U.S. spent $120 billion dollars on the war directly, but other costs raised the tally to a pricey $400 billion.
Emotionally, the U.S. military was exhausted and depleted, no longer the superpower it was assumed; likewise, the American people were depleted and exhausted, although much of it was in relation to their leadership; seriously wounded the U.S. psyche.
Major trends:
Anti-colonial sentiment in America was at a crucial crossroads in the United States governmental policy at this time; economic strongholds overseas and fear of communism threatened the very nationalist foundations of society.
The theoretical fear of communism was great, but so was pride for democracy. This was a conviction that, bantered about today with warfare and American military, seems less pure; in many ways, this was about protecting...
While the spread and protection of democracy was encouraged and a true conviction, the added bonus of the threat to communism spurred the American military to capture the minds of as many American leaders as possible (Eisenhower included).
1: Commitment to France, where troubles in the Indochina region were threatening social stability at home. Marshall plan connections to Europe, and a sincere desire to maintain allied with the French (responsibility, guilt for waiting on intervening in the European conflicts, general interest in this democratic former power) encouraged the United States to empower the French as much as possible in their pursuit.
After WWII, France tried to re-establish control over Vietnam. In January 1946, Britain agreed to remove her troops, and later that year, China left in exchange for a promise she would give up her rights to territory in China. Emperor Bao Dai went into exile in Hong Kong in March, 1946. After signing an accord recognizing Vietnamese national unity within the French Union, he was allowed to return in June, 1948; the French
