WI: Nixon withdraws from vietnam his first year in office

Nope it wasn't, the NYC draft riots in 1863 alone claimed over a hundred dead and thousands wounded. Even that wasn't the beginning of a Civil War in the North.


I think you underestimate the importance of modern media and mass culture at the time...
 
I think you underestimate the importance of modern media and mass culture at the time...

No I am not underestimating it, four students dying in a protest because of poorly trained National Guards is a tragedy, but a tragedy does not equal America heading for a new American Civil War.

It was not a second Bleeding Kansas.
 
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No I am not underestimating it, four students dying in a protest because of poorly trained National Guards is a tragedy, but a tragedy does not equal America heading for a new American Civil War.

It was not a second Bleeding Kansas.


Well if Nixon said that he will remain in Vietnam for indefinite period of time ( even with smaller forces ) it could be...
 
Well if Nixon said that he will remain in Vietnam for indefinite period of time ( even with smaller forces ) it could be...

It wouldn't go down like that, I never sad Nixon announces he will stay forever, nor announces a half million troops there forever, a somewhat slower draw down doesn't equate to any of that. And Nixon still in 1972 wins by a landslide because the democrats badly over read the publics actual mood in the early 70s on Vietnam.

The public wanted peace there yes, but not peace if it came with America being driven out the way this op suggests. Frankly Nixon would never do it, because the public would go wild to see a 1969 Dunkirk.

Once you pull out all the troops of course so too do does Congressional interest in funding the country you are allied to as does air support and diplomatic support... see Iraq 2011 to mid 2014. If 1975 came and went with a few thousand troops left in South Vietnam to call in air strikes there is little doubt in my mind there would be a South Vietnam today.
 
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If 1975 came and went with a few thousand troops left in South Vietnam to call in air strikes there is little doubt in my mind there would be a South Vietnam today.


Agreed. Provided that the USA are able to keep them there as long as necesarry ( because of internal political divisions ). Because, when B-52 continues to drop dozens of bombs on North, there's no was to convince people in States that have chanted "Hey hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today" that the war is essentially over and US out of it...
 
... there's no was to convince people in States that have chanted "Hey hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today" that the war is essentially over and US out of it.
True, but how much of the country did those people actually represent? It's generally the extremes at either end of the spectrum that make the most noise regardless of their actual size, Nixon seems to have done very well by appealing to the centre with his 'silent majority'.
 
True, but how much of the country did those people actually represent? It's generally the extremes at either end of the spectrum that make the most noise regardless of their actual size, Nixon seems to have done very well by appealing to the centre with his 'silent majority'.


Well, for a conflict, all you really need are extremes. Not moderates. They will allready fall into a line- here or there...
 
If he did it, he would have to balance it with a strong anti communist action somewhere else. Great support for Mobutu for example, backing for Biafra
 
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