Vietnamizing the War (1969-1973), Part 2

Question 1: Discuss the secret negotiations between the United States and North Vietnam regarding the Vietnam War’s resolution.

Answer 1: Although the Paris Peace Talks that brought about a resolution to the Vietnam War did not begin in earnest until late 1972, they were preceded by secret talks between U.S. National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese politburo member Le Duc Tho as early as February 1970. While unofficial and therefore not legally binding, it was the secret negotiations between Kissinger and Tho that determined much of what would become finalized in the Paris Peace Accords, including the provisions and agreements that would result in the cease-fire and eventual end to the Vietnam War. Although neither Kissinger nor Tho were the official delegates at the Paris Peace Talks, they were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973—the year the accords were signed—for “Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam.” While Kissinger reluctantly accepted the award, Tho rejected it outright, claiming that peace had not been fully restored; indeed, the fighting in Vietnam would not end until the fall of Saigon in 1975.

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Question 2: Describe the setbacks of the Paris Peace Talks.

Answer 2: Early setbacks of the Paris Peace Talks concerned Operation Rolling Thunder. North Vietnam refused to enter serious negotiations until all the bombing ended, which Johnson finally agreed to at the end of October 1968. Another dispute concerned the refusal of the Vietcong and the South Vietnamese government to recognize one another, which was resolved by making the United States and North Vietnam the named parties. Further accusations of delays concerned Richard Nixon, who was accused of convincing the South Vietnamese to withdraw from the negotiations in 1968 until he and his Republican administration could fix a better arrangement. When Nixon took office in 1969, however, North Vietnam demanded that South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu be replaced with someone they approved of before they would negotiate. This demand was refused, and North Vietnam did not relent for a further three years. Although Kissinger and Tho negotiated certain matters in secret, these setbacks prevented official negotiations until 1972.

Question 3: Briefly discuss the Easter, or Spring, Offensive.

Answer 3: The Easter Offensive was a military campaign by the PAVN into South Vietnam against the ARVN and U.S. military from March 30 to October 22, 1972. The purpose of the offensive was not outright victory, but for North Vietnam to claim as much territory as possible for the remainder of the war. It was divided into three offensive fronts, which threw the allied forces off balance and allowed the PAVN to quickly gain control of land within South Vietnamese borders. By April, the PAVN had captured valuable territory that they held until counterattacks, particularly U.S. air strikes, prevented them from further advancement by September. Although the Easter Offensive did not end the war, it provided the communists with two important advantages: It helped them establish a foothold on South Vietnamese soil from which to continue the war, and it gave North Vietnam a valuable bargaining chip in the Paris Peace Talks.

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