Vietnamisation and the End of the War

By 1969, it was clear that the USA could not win the Vietnam War militarily. The new President, Richard Nixon, pursued a strategy of Vietnamisation — gradually withdrawing American troops while building up South Vietnamese forces. This lesson traces the final years of the war, from Nixon's strategy to the fall of Saigon in 1975.

---

Nixon's Strategy: Vietnamisation

Vietnamisation was the policy of transferring responsibility for the war from US forces to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) — the South Vietnamese military.

Feature	Detail
Announced	June 1969
Aim	Withdraw US troops while strengthening South Vietnam's ability to fight alone
Troop withdrawals	US troop numbers reduced from 536,000 (1968) to 156,000 (1971) to 24,000 (1972)
Military aid	Massive amounts of weapons, equipment, and training provided to ARVN
Air power	The USA continued to provide air support even as ground troops withdrew

Was Vietnamisation Realistic?