As NPR claims: Had it not been for "Watergate" the war in Vietnam would would have never ended?

Question

Please include a link. Or details to support your opinion.

So far I agree with Hank Plank and stand corrected on PBS "The Sixties" as being the source. Until he says was a deciding factor in ending the war. I remember it going exactly the way Tom 1 says...Nixon was reelected to end the war. Watergate was a deciding factor in the impeachment process. Thanks for your replies everyone.

Answer 1

Watergate occurred several months AFTER the decision to pull out of Vietnam was made, so I don't see how it could be the reason for the latter.

Answer 2

There was a very interesting documentary on PBS (sorry it was not Fox for some reason) last night (Wednesday) called "the Sixties". It gave the time lines and the decisions made by Nixon, Johnson, etc. Nixon had in fact planned on escalating the war and secret bombing of Cambodia and Laos until the"National Moratorium" which involved 2 million protesters. Instead he backed off of this and decided on a plan called "Vietnamization" prompting the South Vietnamese to take over the ground war. Regardless the war was still going on years later and casualties were higher once Nixon took over. The group known as the "plumbers" or "Watergate burglars" were first used to go after Ellsberg who leaked the"Pentagon Papers" detailing much of the plans for carrying out and continuing the war and as you may be aware they burglarized the DNC headquarters later on. The war was still in full swing when they burglarized the DNC headquarters. Nixon's problems grew serious and he decided to end our involvement in Viet Nam. Watergate was undeniably a major factor in ending the war.

Answer 3

Rowlife needs a calender. When was Johnson President again? But Nixon had already anounced the withdrawl from Viet Nam before Watergate.

Answer 4

Go on wikipedia and look up Operation Linebacker & Operation Linebacker ll.

Damage to North Vietnam's infrastructure was severe. The Air Force estimated 500 rail interdictions had taken place, 372 pieces of rolling stock and three million gallons of petroleum products were destroyed, and 80 percent of the North Vietnam's electrical power production capability had been eliminated. Logistical inputs into North Vietnam were assessed by U.S. intelligence at 160,000 tons per month when the operation began. By January 1973, those imports had dropped to 30,000 tons per month.

Answer 5

Oh please, Watergate and the Viet Nam conflict were not really connected in that manner, not cause and effect directly as you imply. Nixon was brought down as President by the scandal of Watergate. HAd he not resigned, he would likely have been impeached and forced to leave office anyway. Johnson escalated Viet Nam after Nixon resigned. Johnson started bombing Cambodia after Nixon resigned. It was Johnson who subsequently lost in Viet Nam. Look at LBJ.

Answer 6

Nixon was elected specifically to END the war in Vietnam!!!
Can I suggest you retake history 101??