Nixon Doctrine Declared (1969)
On July 25, 1969, President Richard Nixon declared the Nixon Doctrine and stated that the United States expected its allies to take care of their own military defense. Many felt that President Nixon declared this doctrine because public opinion strongly favored a withdrawal from Vietnam. Under pressure to resolve the Vietnam War, Nixon introduced the new policy.
The Nixon Doctrine, also known as the Guam Doctrine, was put forth in a press conference in Guam on July 25, 1969 by President Nixon. In the height of the Vietnam War, he boldly stated that the United States expected its allies to take care of their own military defense, but that the U.S. would aid in defense as requested. The Doctrine argued for the pursuit of peace through a partnership, rather than a complete dependence on American aid.
Specifically, the Nixon Doctrine stated that the United States would continue to keep all of its treaty commitments, provide aid if an allied nation was under nuclear threat, and provide military and economic assistance when requested. However, the primary responsibility of defense would be on the threatened nation, rather than on the United States.
The change in United States policy from unconditional defense of allies to a partnership in which the threatened nation had to provide for its own defense helped set the stage for the United States’ involvement in subsequent wars, such as the Gulf War and the Iraq War.