The United States’ official participation in the Vietnam War (1955-1975) ended in March of 1973. By that year, Americans were both tired of and disillusioned with the war. President Nixon had won the election in 1968, in part on the promise that he had a “secret” plan to end the war. Instead, he heightened U. S. involvement by ordering the invasion of Cambodia. Congress was faced with widespread opposition to the war among American citizens and with the knowledge that almost 58,000 American soldiers had already died. Congress also believed that the president’s military strategy had been reckless. In the fall of 1973, the War Powers Resolution was passed and despite President Nixon’s veto, Congress voted the resolution into law, making it the War Powers Act, on November 7, 1973.
Greenfield Recorder. “Senate Bill Would Limit U.S. Combat.” October 11, 1973. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l06-054/. Accessed on October 17, 2024.
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