bloodshed. >> how the here in this clearly difficult war, i think history will report this may have been one of america's finest hours. because we took a difficult task and we succeeded. you're doing your job. i can assure you we're going to fry to ours to see that they don't fight in vain. >> nixon did not want to be the first president of the united states to lose a war. it was a matter of personal pride with him. his basic goal to end the war as quickly as possible but on honorable terms with preserving his view, credibility as a world power and as an ally. >> president nixon will dispatch his adviser on foreign affairs, henry kissinger to paris for peace talks. >> nixon's strategy on vietnam was to negotiate a peace agreement but at the same time to -- >> we had to turn the conflict over to south vietnam or it would be helpless. >> the south vietnamese were taught to think like americans, americans. >> south vietnam's president thieu, he wanted nothing more than to gradually take over full responsibility for the war. >> president nixon started with joint troops almost right away. he had a lot to withdraw. over 500,000 men there.