Richard Nixon and the Vietnam War : The End of the American Century

Resumen del libro

In Richard Nixon and the Vietnam War, David F. Shmitz provides students of US history and the Vietnam era with an up-to-date analysis of Nixon's Vietnam policy in a brief and accessible book that addresses the main controversies of the Nixon years. Richard Nixon came into office seeking a decisive victory in Vietnam, and expanded the war in hopes of upholding a policy of "containment," protecting America's credibility, and defying the growing antiwar movement. However, by 1971 the president was forced to significantly de-escalate the American presence and seek a negotiated end to the war. Aided by recently declassified documents, Schmitz provides a comprehensive analysis of Nixon's Vietnam policy during the first years of his administration, clearly demonstrating that Nixon pursued military victory and providing a new periodization for our understanding of the Vietnam War.