Vietnamization

Vietnamization was a policy enacted in early 1969 by the Richard Nixon administration aimed at ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War by expanding, equipping, and training the South Vietnamese armed forces (ARVN) and increasing their combat role, while at the same reducing involvement of U.S. combat troops. The policy of Vietnamization, despite its successful execution, was ultimately a failure as the improved ARVN forces were unable to stop North Vietnam and its People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). The South Vietnamese government collapsed with the fall of Saigon in April 1975 and north and south Vietnam were subsequently unified under communism as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The policy of Vietnamization was brought on by North Vietnam's Tet Offensive in early 1968 which had led to increasing opposition among the American public to continued involvement in the war. This continued to increase following other events such as the 1968 My Lai massacre, the 1970 invasion of Cambodia, and the 1971 leaking of the Pentagon Papers. The term "Vietnamization" originated from a meeting on January 28, 1969, of the National Security Council. General Andrew Goodpaster, commander of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, stated that the ARVN had been improving to the point that the war could be "de-Americanized". Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird agreed but suggested using the term "Vietnamizing" instead.

Vietnamization also fit into the broader détente policy of the Nixon administration, in which the United States moved away from a strategy of containment of communism to a more cooperative strategy with other world powers, including the Soviet Union and China. Nixon ordered negotiations with the Soviets and opened high-level contact with China. Improving relations with these countries was of higher priority than South Vietnam.

Vietnamization had two components. The first was "strengthening the armed force of the South Vietnamese in numbers, equipment, leadership and combat skills", while the second was "the extension of the pacification program [i.e. military aid to civilians] in South Vietnam". U.S. helicopters would continue to fly in support while South Vietnamese candidates were trained to eventually take over operations. The policy reduced the involvement of U.S. combat troops specifically in the ground combat roles, but did not initially reduce operations by the U.S. Air Force, as well as the support to South Vietnam, consistent with the policies of U.S. foreign military assistance organizations.