Negotiations and talks

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Created by
mariam

Cards (7)

    • the Tet Offensive leads to talks in 1968
    • These talks in Paris only led to both sides restating their arguments
    • The USA wanted South Vietnam to be independent and non-communist
    • The North Vietnamese wanted Vietnam unified as one country and have a communist government
    • Nixon promised after his election in 1968 that he would end the war as soon as possible
  • the barriers to agreements were:
    • whether to unite Vietnam
    • how to unite Vietnam
    • who governed Vietnam
    • troop withdrawals
  • secret peace talks:
    • the Paris peace talks made no development in negotiations
    • so, Nixon held talks with China and USSR, hoping to end Cold War
    • as a result, the North Vietnamese agreed to secret peace talks in 1970 because they feared an end to support from China and the USSR
    • The South Vietnamese did not know about those talks
    • The USA considered abandoning the South Vietnamese government led by Thieu
    • This is because they wanted an agreement on an independent South Vietnam and the North Vietnamese would not accept any government led by Thieu
  • reasons for agreeing to peace negotiations:
    • USA - no victory, cost and casualties of war, anti-war feeling at home, reduced funding by Congress
    • North Vietnam - possible loss of aid from USSR and China, continued bombing of North Vietnam, cost and casualties of war
    • in 1972, North Vietnam launched the Easter Offensive
    • this showed that the North Vietnamese were strong enough to launch the attack, even if it failed
    • The Easter Offensive and the following Operation Linebacker showed both sides could continue the war for years
    • The USA resumed heavy bombing on North Vietnam
    • Nixon persuaded Thieu to come to the talks by promising supplies and aid
    • Nixon encouraged China and USSR to press the North Vietnamese to reach an agreement
    • the talks began in early 1973
    • in late 1972, the USA and North Vietnamese produced an agreement at official Paris talks
    • Thieu refused to sign because he was angry about him not having no part in the agreement and it was now being forced upon him
    • The North Vietnamese accused the USA of South Vietnam’s refusal
    • The talks broke up due to lack of trust and the unsigned agreement