The Fourth of May

GOODBYE VIETNAM

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Finally, in December, plagued by growing violence at home and a lack of direction in Vietnam as a whole, President Nixon announced that the general withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam had begun. The Viet Cong and the communist forces celebrated, marching triumphantly into Saigon in early February as the last American forces fled. The Vietnam War was over

For the US to pull forces out of a theater, it takes much more than a mere sixty days. If President Nixon made the announcement in December of 1970, the first troops would only start to vacate in late January at the earliest. For a total troop withdrawal, you should change it to the last troops leave South Vietnam by the following August. Even that time frame might be a bit short as well.

Consider the transport ships, the aircraft, fuel & food... an evacuation of this magnitude would take anywhere between six months to well over a year... believe me...I understand the logistics when it comes to moving and or participating in a large movement of military equipment and personnel. There are so many variables which also include weather, airplane crashes, ships breaking down at sea etc.

You cannot have the president announce a withdrawal in December and expect to have all of the military units home in the USA by February. To short of a time period. Not unless you intend on leaving a bulk of the troops and major amounts of equipment behind:(.

My 2 cents. Joho



 
Excellent comments guys! Sorry for the wait. Night shift Walmart manager job kills me sometimes. :( Working on a new addition now!
 
A SUMMARY OF MAY, 1970
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MAY 4-5, 1970: The Kent State Massacre occurs at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Over 300 casualties. Nixon suspends Congress and the Supreme Court to move the government to safety and declares martial law in Ohio and Washington. Pro-government "Silent Majority Rallies" occur around the country. Right-on-Left violence sweeps the country. Governor Ronald Reagan of California declares martial law after several "hippies" were attacked by mobs in Los Angeles.

MAY 6, 1970: Scandal in Great Britain as the Arms Crisis unfolds. Two members of the Irish government are dismissed for helping to funnel funds and weapons to the Irish Republican Army (IRA), a separatist terrorist organization.

MAY 7, 1970: Riots rock Great Britain as pro-IRA and and separatists unleash a wave of violence against the English.

MAY 8, 1970: The Hard Hat Massacre occurs at New York City Hall, at the intersection of Wall Street and Broad Street. Labor leader Peter J. Brennan leads several hundred construction workers and Union men to counter against about 1500 leftists gathered to protest Kent State. Mayor John Lindsay gives the order for police to disperse the crowd, but a foreman named Christopher Kearney is stabbed to death in the mob violence and the street quickly becomes a battlefield. The New York National Guard, already on standby, moves in with tanks and huge numbers of troops as martial law is declared everywhere. Meanwhile, what would be the final Beatles album, Let it Be, is released and bombs.

MAY 11, 1970: Henry Marrow, a young black veteran and anti-Vietnam War protester in Oxford, North Carolina, is beaten and killed outside a gas station by a mob of whites following a chain of events that spiraled out control.

MAY 12, 1970: Black protesters march to the Confederate Monument in Oxford to protest the Marrow Murder. After several early brawls with police and white counter-marchers, the day descends into chaos as a mob of blacks torch a white car dealer and a clothing store. The whites strike back with an ad-hoc militia led by Klansman Robert Teel that opens fire on the arsonists. Oxford becomes a war-zone as whites and blacks shoot each other in the streets and fires break out all over town.

MAY 13, 1970: Martial law is declared in North Carolina as the racial tensions increase and spill out of Oxford. Over 200 people have already died in the state so far.

MAY 14, 1970: "March for Oxford" is held in Washington, D.C.. Citizens, white supremacists, and many elements of the far-Right march in the thousands, asking Nixon to crack down on blacks and integration. Meanwhile, in Jackson, Mississippi, a group of blacks begins violently protesting at Jackson State College.

MAY 15, 1970: At Jackson State College in Jackson, Mississippi, firefighters attempting to control fires set by rioting black students are assaulted. The local and state police arrive in force and form a barricade and squad cars as they deploy tear gas. The causes are unclear, but the police open fire with shotguns, killing 15 and wounding 30 others.

MAY 16, 1970: Early morning arrives as the Jackson Riots hit their violent crescendo. Five officers are brutally killed and hanged by blacks as the college burns. The police catch those responsible hiding inside a convenience store. The murderers all die as the store goes up in flames. Martial Law is declared in Mississippi and the National Guard moves in around 9 am, but it is too late. Most of Jackson State College has been torched or destroyed, and weeping families stumble down the streets identifying the bodies of the dead, many of which still lie on the pavement in puddles of blood.

MAY 17, 1970: President Nixon addresses the nation. Over 800 Americans have been killed or injured in May and martial law has been declared in a dozen states. Nixon asks for calm and brotherhood instead of violence and brash actions. However, he also says he will brutally crush any "terrorists" who "reject the ways of American law and order."

MAY 18-20, 1970: More violence in Ireland as IRA cells unleash a wave of car bombs and assassinations. In America, riots sweep the nation as political rallies and marches everywhere descend into chaos. Though restored to their normal duties on May 12, Congress and the Supreme Court are moved to safety once again as violence hits Washington. Nixon once again assumes total control of government. Protesters march in front of the White House. Several struggle to open the gates. Nixon has none of it. Secret Service, Police, and soldiers converge on the crowd and arrest every single one. Pro-Nixon marchers get mixed into the fray, and violence erupts. One leftist named Paul Hernandez is stabbed to death. Fortunately, any more violence is general contained as the leftists head off to jail.

MAY 20, 1970: Nixon tells his cabinet during a meeting that he's done "pussyfooting the Communists in Vietnam." Over the next five months, the USA will drop over 300,000 tons of explosives onto North and South Vietnam, Cambodia.

MAY 22, 1970: Nixon announces his strategy for Vietnam. Outraged leftists take to the streets nation-wide. Already well-prepared, knowing this would occur, Nixon declares martial law in over half the nation and suspends the right to protest and gather in large numbers.

MAY 24, 1970: The Soviet Union begins wondering about the stability of the US government. Soviet agents within the country begin a massive campaign to goad on leftists and blacks to fight against the government.

MAY 27, 1970: In the face of increasing racial violence, a group of whites in Mississippi declare they have created the Silent Brigade, consisting of "concerned citizens and fed-up veterans," a militia to protect "law and order when the government can't." Their leader, Jim Boothe, a small-town millionaire, announces that "if the blacks and Reds want to have a civil war, let them come, and we shall drive them all to the gates of hell."


 
The sad thing is...

There is very little ASB about this... with just a few tweaks, it could have gone down this way.

(Stroking the paranoid fever-dreams of memory).
Carry on... (gulp)
 
There is very little ASB about this... with just a few tweaks, it could have gone down this way.

(Stroking the paranoid fever-dreams of memory).
Carry on... (gulp)

Unfortunately it indeed could have led to a lot more bloodshed in OTL. Now just how much will the agitators get away with until the FBI, CIA, and state authorities hunt them down and shoot on site?
 
However, despite finally winning, the communist government in Vietnam had little time for celebrations. The factions backed by the USSR and the factions backed by Red China were now feuding over the backward hellhole Nixon had bombed their country into. Everything fell apart.

I don't think this is plausible (possible? Yes. Plausible? No). In 1970, Le Duan was still the First Secretary of Vietnamese Communist Party (and effectively the highest rank in leadership of DRVN/North VietNam that time). He was a hardliner, literally. I remember that around 50s or early 60s, he even said to Ho Chi Minh (in a report) that Vietnam must not be afraid of her own allies (I think he even name China and USSR)

In other words, it is likely that there is no preference between USSR and China (from a macro-view point). Note that the rift between these 2 nations did not go worse until 1972 with the visit of Nixon. I believe that while 2 factions can fight politically (mostly in form of verbal abuse), it can end very soon as Le Duan is... just say that he's badass and has enough "stalinium" inside to make things "properly"

Regarding other parts, I must say it's a well-done storyline. Though can you try a larger size (try size 4) and for the "summary" part, how about bullet points?

And man, things are really this close to happen in OTL... How about an invasion of UK? The beli caus is "to retake our colony". The USSR can "accidently" help to, beli caus is "to protect our allies' interest, namely Cuba and Latin America". I'm concern about the Brigade though...
 
And man, things are really this close to happen in OTL... How about an invasion of UK? The beli caus is "to retake our colony". The USSR can "accidently" help to, beli caus is "to protect our allies' interest, namely Cuba and Latin America". I'm concern about the Brigade though...

What? UK invading the US to retake it as a colony with assistance from the USSR?
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What? UK invading the US to retake it as a colony with assistance from the USSR?
wtf.gif

Shrug. Not sure about the UK, but with shit hitting the fan in US, Cuba is bound to sniff some uneasy smell.

Publically, USSR cannot send mass troops there, but no one can know if they send it specialists, like Spetnaz, just in case USA has itchy fingers
 
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