Hear the Nixon's speech given on April 20th, 1970—just 10 days prior to his announcement of the Cambodian invasion—in which he explains his plan for a large drawdown of troops from Vietnam. Though ultimately unfulfilled, this speech articulates Nixon's initial hope for a quick withdrawal from the region given the completion of three criteria: successful peace negotiations, diminished enemy activity, and proper training of the South Vietnamese military. And while many felt that the president's later retraction of his drawdown strategy in favor of the large-scale invasion of Cambodia was a betrayal of his earlier promises, Nixon believed it to be the quickest route towards ending the unpopular and costly war.

Footage from this speech was used in the documentary The Day the 60's Died, which chronicles the Kent State shootings and the events and circumstances surrounding it. Additional resources from this documentary can be found here.