Memorandum of Conversation at the Paris Peace Talks
12/6/1972
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National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger had began backchannel negotiations with North Vietnam in February 1970 to try to end the Vietnam War. Hoping to gain an edge in these deliberations, North Vietnam sent 122,000 main force units to attack South Vietnam in March 1972. President Nixon was enraged by this "Spring Offensive." In a recorded conversation, he told Kissinger he would retaliate by bombing "the bastards like [they’d] never been bombed before."
In October 1972, a defeated North Vietnam made concessions and Kissinger announced "peace is at hand." In this conversation with North Vietnamese representatives from Hanoi, Kissinger succinctly stated the Nixon administration’s goals: "We will not give Saigon [South Vietnam] a guarantee of victory. But neither can we make an agreement which gives your side a guarantee of victory. What we want is an agreement which gives the real political forces in Vietnam an opportunity...to develop, so that the Vietnamese people...can determine their destiny."
But South Vietnamese President Thieu balked at the agreement and demanded changes. When Kissinger attempted to renegotiate, the talks collapsed. Nixon blamed North Vietnam and ordered a massive "Christmas Bombing" to bring both sides back to the table.
In October 1972, a defeated North Vietnam made concessions and Kissinger announced "peace is at hand." In this conversation with North Vietnamese representatives from Hanoi, Kissinger succinctly stated the Nixon administration’s goals: "We will not give Saigon [South Vietnam] a guarantee of victory. But neither can we make an agreement which gives your side a guarantee of victory. What we want is an agreement which gives the real political forces in Vietnam an opportunity...to develop, so that the Vietnamese people...can determine their destiny."
But South Vietnamese President Thieu balked at the agreement and demanded changes. When Kissinger attempted to renegotiate, the talks collapsed. Nixon blamed North Vietnam and ordered a massive "Christmas Bombing" to bring both sides back to the table.
This primary source comes from the Collection RN-NSF: National Security Files (Nixon Administration).
Full Citation: Memorandum of Conversation at the Paris Peace Talks; 12/6/1972; Camp David Memcons December 1972; Central Files, 1/20/1969 - 8/9/1974; Collection RN-NSF: National Security Files (Nixon Administration); Richard Nixon Library, Yorba Linda, CA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/memorandum-conversation-paris-peace-talks, April 26, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.