Vietnam War: Nixon Doctrine

July 25, 1969 - In a press conference, President Richard M. Nixon outlines his "Nixon Doctrine." This approach to foreign policy stated that the United States would continue to provide military aid and supplies, but that it expected its allies to assume responsibility for providing the manpower for their own defense. At the time, this policy change most directly impacted the war in Vietnam. In compliance with the Nixon Doctrine, US leaders began to turn the actual fighting of the war over to the South Vietnamese. This process, known as "Vietnamization," provided a way for the US to exit the conflict. This article provides an overview on Vietnamization and its effects on the conflict.

Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration