Vietnamisation

His answer combined Vietnamisation, continued military pressure and diplomacy. These methods could appear contradictory: while American ground troops were leaving Vietnam, US aircraft continued attacking communist forces and the fighting spread into neighbouring countries.

Vietnamisation was the practical policy for making this transfer possible. The USA trained and equipped the ARVN, supplying weapons, money and military advisers so that South Vietnamese forces could take over as American combat troops withdrew. Nixon hoped this would allow the USA to leave without South Vietnam falling to communism.

At the same time, his policy of Vietnamisation aimed to build up South Vietnam’s armed forces so that they could take over the fighting. This offered a way to reduce American casualties and respond to public pressure without immediately abandoning the South Vietnamese government.