Title: The drawdown, 1970-1971 /
Authors: Birtle, A. J.; Maass, John R.; Center of Military History
Publisher: United States Army, Center of Military History,
Year: 2019
Subjects: Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Cambodia; Operation Lam Son 719, 1971; United States History; Vietnam History; United States; Vietnam
Abstract: The years 1970 and 1971 were important ones in the Vietnam War. They were also years of contrast. The American public was deeply divided -- many no longer wanted to fight the war, while others wanted to win it. It was a period in which the United States fought aggressively while seeking to end the conflict through talks held in Paris, France -- negotiations that were frequently as contentious as the battles in the field. In 1970 and 1971 the United States and its allies made progress in solidifying the security and viability of the Republic of Vietnam. Yet in no way was victory achieved, and in some respects South Vietnam would emerge more vulnerable than before. Finally, it was during these two years that the United States expanded the geographical extent of the conflict while curtailing its participation in it. The stress and confusion of the situation took its toll as soldiers tried to make sense of it all.
Contents: Strategic setting -- The Cambodian incursion -- The war in South Vietnam, 1970 -- Challenges to cohesion and morale -- Crossing the border again: Cambodia, 1971 -- Laos: Lam Som 719 -- Fighting withdrawal: The war after Lam Son 719 -- Analysis.