Paris Peace Agreement

Johnson & Nixon were determined to…

end US involvement, achieve peace with honour & maintain SV as an independent non-communist state

what was the turning point for the USA to end involvement in Vietnam?

the Tet offensive

when did negotiations become more likley

after the Sino-Soviet split (1962)

Kissinger used the…to his advantage

Sino-Soviet split

Why did the Sino-Soviet split make negotiations more likley?

China wanted to develop a positive relationship with the US

China wanted to develop a positive relationship with the US, but was not willing to…

use its influence over NV to support the USA

China told NV that…

they must negotiate in Paris with the Americans

what did the USSR want?

the war to continue as they wanted a single capitalist Vietnam

Kissinger played a key role in…

secret talks & visited the USSR in April 1972 to reach an agreement

the USSR were not going to…

encourage NV to compromise

The USSR saw the Paris Peace talks as an opportunity for…

a united socialist Vietnam

It was accepted by all sides by 1972 that….

objectives could not be fulfilled through military means

Thieu wanted to…

keep the US military in SV & rejected any peace proposals other than those that would guarantee the non-communist future of SV

when did talks begin?

1972

Progress was made by…

September 1972

why was progress made by September 1972?

American diplomats suggested that US support for Thieu was not fixed & the NV indicated they were willing to consider a coalition gov that would include representatives for the NLF

when was an agreement reached?

October 1972

who was excluded with negotiations?

South Vietnam

what terms were agreed

ceasefire, each side would keep the areas they controlled, USA to withdraw forces, prisoners of war exchanged, free elections

A ceasefire was to begin…

Jan 1973

Each side’s forces would…

keep the areas they controlled at the time of the ceasefire

Within 60 days the USA would…

withdraw its forces & prisoners of war would be exchanged

A commission would be set up to …

consider the introduction of free elections in a post-war SV & the ability of the SV to decide their own political future

Free elections would consider the possibility of…

an eventual reunification of Vietnam as a single state

what was Thieu’s reaction to the agreements?

Thieu was appalled by agreements & the fact that SV had been marginalised from decisions

what did Nixon do after agreements?

Nixon was insisting on ‘peace with honour’ but would not take action until after the 1972 presidential elections; after he won a landslide victory, he renewed US military efforts hoping to reassure Thieu & send a warning to NV that the US would not abandon its ally.

what did Nixon do December 1972?

Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi & other important northern cities

when did Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi & other important northern cities?

December 1972

Nixon’s December 1972 bombing was the…

heaviest bombing of the entire Vietnam war

what was the reaction to Nixon’s December 1972 bombing?

caused international condemnation of US actions & a fall of domestic approval rating in the US