The Paris Peace Accords and the Vietnam War
1968–1973
Opening the Paris Talks
The Vietnam peace talks in Paris began while fighting and bombing continued. At the first plenary session on 13 May 1968, North Vietnamese negotiator Xuan Thuy demanded an end to American bombing before discussion of other issues. American envoy W. Averell Harriman insisted on reciprocal restraint and invoked the earlier Geneva agreements. [1]
Under President Richard Nixon, formal sessions continued alongside a private channel between Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese representatives, especially Le Duc Tho. Washington gradually withdrew American forces while trying to strengthen South Vietnam’s military capacity. Nixon also sought influence through improved relations with the Soviet Union and through his 1972 visit to China. Those governments continued aiding Hanoi, however. [2]
Negotiating with Hanoi and Saigon
In October 1972, Kissinger and Le Duc Tho reached a draft settlement, but South Vietnamese president Nguyen Van Thieu objected to terms that left North Vietnamese forces in the South and gave political standing to the Provisional Revolutionary Government. Further negotiations, American bombing, and pressure on Thieu followed. [2]
During their January 1973 discussions, Kissinger and Le Duc Tho agreed that additional understandings on reconnaissance, aircraft carriers, prisoners, and events in Laos should remain unpublished. [3]
The Agreement and Withdrawal
Representatives of the United States, the Republic of Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and the Provisional Revolutionary Government signed the accords on 27 January 1973. The agreement provided for a ceasefire, withdrawal of American and specified allied personnel within sixty days, and the return of captured personnel alongside that withdrawal. It called for political reconciliation in the South and peaceful discussion of eventual reunification. [3] [4]
Military staffs had prepared withdrawal plans while the diplomats negotiated. After signature, American plans became orders governing the removal of personnel and equipment and the closure of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, by 29 March. [5]
Continued War
The accords ended direct American combat involvement, but fighting between the Vietnamese sides continued. American promises of renewed military support were not fulfilled, and North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon in April 1975. [2] [4]
Sources
- Opening of the Paris Talks, 13 May 1968
FRUS 1964–1968, Volume VI, document 230; Harriman and Xuan Thuy opening positions and reporting telegrams
- Ending the Vietnam War, 1969–1973
Public and private negotiations, Vietnamization, 1972 draft agreement, 1973 settlement and its aftermath
- Editorial Note: Paris Accords and Associated Understandings
FRUS 1969–1976, Volume XLII, document 71; signature, private understandings and 11 January 1973 exchange
- Excerpts from the Paris Accords, 27 January 1973
Agreement Articles 1–8, 11, 15, 21–22 and protocols on prisoners and missing persons
- 60 Days, 50 Years Ago
MACV withdrawal plans J-200 and J-215, conversion to orders, and 29 March 1973 completion
Related Reading
Cite This Article
The Paris Peace Accords and the Vietnam War. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record 97dd03aefd8c1110a6f7. https://chanceries.org/research/history/paris-peace-accords-1973/