Nixon Doctrine

The Nixon Doctrine (also known as the Guam Doctrine) was put forth during a "Silent Majority" speech in a press conference in Guam on July 25, 1969 by U.S. President Richard Nixon. According to Gregg Brazinsky, Nixon stated that "the United States would assist in the defense and developments of allies and friends," but would not "undertake all the defense of the free nations of the world."

1. First, the United States will keep all of its treaty commitments.
2. Second, we shall provide a shield if a nuclear power threatens the freedom of a nation allied with us or of a nation whose survival we consider vital to our security.
3. Third, in cases involving other types of aggression, we shall furnish military and economic assistance when requested in accordance with our treaty commitments. But we shall look to the nation directly threatened to assume the primary responsibility of providing the manpower for its defense.

The Doctrine was also applied by the Nixon administration in the Persian Gulf region, with military aid to Iran and Saudi Arabia. According to author Michael Klare, application of the Nixon Doctrine "opened the floodgates" of U.S. military aid to allies in the Persian Gulf, and helped set the stage for the Carter Doctrine and for the subsequent direct U.S. military involvement of the Gulf War and the Iraq War. Not only for Middle East regions, but it applied to other Asian countries such as Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, and others which might be threatened by Communist aggression. For example, Nixon Doctrine was applied to Foreign Policy of the United States on South Korea, and 20,000 of 61,000 American soldiers were evacuated from Korea until June, 1971.