Jeffrey Kimball Vietnam Sparknotes

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Recommended: Pros and cons of vietnamization

Jeffrey P. Kimball is Professor Emeritus of History at Miami University. He is the author of several books including other works on Nixon and Vietnam. This book is a study of Nixon’s direction of the Vietnam War. The author argues that the madman theory was the central element in Nixon’s strategy for winning in Vietnam (p. xii). This madman theory took precedence over Nixon’s stated strategy of Vietnamization, triangular diplomacy and use of force. Kimball also contends that a peculiar relationship between Nixon and Kissinger existed during the war and influenced his strategy. Throughout the book, the author describes the personal attributes of Nixon and Kissinger. Nixon, he says, is essentially a bad person with psychological flaws …show more content…

out of Vietnam. All share a common theme of Vietnamization, triangular diplomacy, and threat of force to coerce the North Vietnamese to accept terms favorable to Nixon’s administration. Vietnamization was a carryover from LBJ’s presidency. Simply put, it was a program to set conditions where the South Vietnamese could stand on their own with minimal or no U.S. support. Triangular diplomacy involved public and secret peace negotiations with Hanoi. Central to these negotiations is the involvement of the Soviets and Chinese in the peace deals. Added initiatives were linkages, or carrots and sticks for trade negations and arms control in exchange for help from the Soviets or Chinese to get Hanoi to the peace table (p 75). Force was used to compel the North Vietnamese into accepting U.S. terms. Unlike LBJ’s use of gradual escalation of force, Nixon intended for this force to be overwhelming. Nixon also needed to demonstrate to America that he was ending the war. To this end he gradually withdraws U.S. military ground forces throughout the remainder of the …show more content…

Unpredictability and unreasonableness with respect to the use of force are the key aspects of this theory. Nixon wants negotiators to perceive that he is crazy and will use any force available to him to achieve his goal. Kissinger is the good cop; Nixon is the bad cop. The principal threat is the use of excessive force (p. 76). The author sees Nixon’s dark personality, his black id, as compelling Nixon to increase use of force when he should have accepted peace terms. The author details four years of Nixon and Kissinger waging a war of wills against the North Vietnamese. Neither side concede sufficiently for both to agree to terms. The author describes how Nixon and Kissinger maneuver through domestic and international politics to arrange an acceptable peace settlement. At times Nixon’s motivations were centered squarely on his reelection bid. Nixon is constrained by domestic political concerns to end the war. He has to gradually reduce of U.S. troops, and place the burden on the South Vietnamese while still actively fighting the

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