In the fall of 1971, Richard Nixon had reason to be optimistic. The long sought China Summit had just been announced, for the following year, to great (and deserved) acclaim. Vietnam, to be sure, remained an issue, but the continuing troop withdrawal had reduced its political drag at home. With his re-election campaign now looming, the polls showed him well ... Show More
Jul 2021
S3 Ep 5 - Beginning of the End
In early February ’71, with pressure building at home to complete the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam, Nixon puts his Vietnamization program to a crucial and very public test. With the world watching, the South Vietnamese army launches an invasion into Laos, where they ... Show More
49m 32s
Jul 2021
S3 Ep 4 - Searchlight on the Lawn
In the spring of 1970, the war in Vietnam comes home with a vengeance. A year of secret bombing having produced no movement from the North Vietnamese, Nixon and Kissinger raise the stakes, dramatically. In late April, US and South Vietnamese ground forces invade Cambodia. The “in ... Show More
54m 2s
Aug 2024
177. The Vietnam War: Lyndon Johnson, Americanisation, and Operation Rolling Thunder
With the death of JFK, Lyndon B. Johnson took over the Presidency and immediately had to wrestle with America’s relationship with Vietnam after the killing of Diem. Right from the start he prophesised that it would be his downfall and so it was. He consistently resented it and th ... Show More
56m 57s
Nov 2023
Most Well-Endowed President? LBJ Recommends His Jumbo Johnson
President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration is known for all sorts of stuff, like the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, the creation of public radio and television, food stamps, and Medicare and Medicaid. And, of course, escalating the Vietnam War. Lyndon did all that...while ... Show More
25m 4s