Easter Offensive - 1972

• • the North Vietnamese were encouraged by Laos to plan an attack on South Vietnam
  • The plan was to directly attack ARVN troops
• • in March 1972, 120,000 of North Vietnamese troops crossed the border into South Vietnam and attacked
• • before the attack, the US said that an invasion of South Vietnam was not a possibility
  • The attack was a surprise and was not very successful
  • the ARVN pushed the North Vietnamese back eventually with air support from the USA
• • the Easter Offensive led to Operation Linebacker from the USA