Key Points

• Talks began on 13 May 1972 and ended in January 1973.
• Major players: Henry Kissinger (US) and North Vietnamese.
• Main challenge: Neither side wanted to compromise. North Vietnam wanted representation in the South's government.
• The Battlefield & The Negotiating Table:
• Americans used airpower for pressure, even bombing previously "off-limits" North Vietnamese targets.
• Nixon & Kissinger’s tactic: Develop better relations with the Soviet Union and China to get them to pressure North Vietnam into a peace settlement.

 Outcome

• Peace settlement signed on 27 January 1973.
• All US troops would leave Vietnam, respecting the 17th parallel division.
• American withdrawal completed two weeks later, but peace did not last long. North Vietnam captured Saigon by April 1975.

 Domino Effect Realized

• By the end of 1975, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos all embraced Communism.
• Reference: Eisenhower's domino theory of 1953 came true.
•  Was Vietnam a failure for US containment policy? 🤔
• Obvious answer: The Vietnam War did not stop Communism in Indochina.
• Wider view: Some believe that the Vietnam War gave other Southeast Asian countries breathing room against Communism.

Real-world Example: Former Singapore premier Lee Kuan Yew said the US intervention in Vietnam helped non-Communist Southeast Asia organize against Communism.