Why / how did the USA withdraw from Vietnam?

Summary

The United States began withdrawing its troops from Vietnam in 1973 following the signing of the Paris Peace Accords. The agreement called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam. The withdrawal was completed by March 1973. After the U.S. withdrawal, the South Vietnamese government continued to receive military support, but without direct American combat involvement. However, the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese forces in April 1975 marked the end of the Vietnam War.
The decision to withdraw from Vietnam was influenced by several factors:
  • Growing opposition: The war faced increasing opposition from the American public due to its heavy casualties, high costs, and lack of a clear victory. Widespread protests and anti-war movements put pressure on the government to end the war. As the first ‘media war’ images of US atrocities, like My Lai in 1968 made US citizens question the morality of their involvement. The 1968 Tet offensive was also a turning point creating a credibility gap between what the government told them was happening in the war and what was really happening.
  • Military stalemate: Despite significant American military involvement, the conflict reached a stalemate. The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces were resilient and continued to fight, making it difficult for the U.S. to achieve its objectives. US tactics were proving ineffective - Operation Rolling Thunder had not ‘bombed the North into submission’, they could not cut the Ho Chi Minh trail ‘umbilical chord’, the VC’s guerrilla tactics were sapping the morale of US troops leading to atrocities such as My Lai, desertion, drug use and fragging of officers. The Tet offensive illustrated the defiance and resilience of the ‘insurgents’. As Nixon came to power he pledged to get the US out.
  • Financial strain: The cost of the war was straining the U.S. economy. The war's expenses, combined with other domestic priorities, such as the Great Society programs, created a financial burden, leading to concerns about the sustainability of the war effort
  • Nixon's policy of Vietnamization: President Richard Nixon implemented a policy known as "Vietnamization." It involved gradually transferring the responsibility of combat operations to the South Vietnamese forces, while reducing the number of U.S. troops. This policy aimed to shift the burden of the war onto the South Vietnamese government
  • Peace negotiations: The Paris Peace Accords, signed in 1973, provided a framework for ending the war. The agreement called for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam, the release of prisoners of war, and a political settlement through negotiations. This led to the gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam.
  • Overall, a combination of public opposition, military challenges, financial strain, and a shift in policy towards Vietnamization contributed to the decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Vietnam.