Paris Peace Accords
1/27/1973
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This is the "Agreement Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet-nam." The first pages and signatures are shown here.
On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords officially ended the war in Vietnam. South Vietnamese President Thieu reluctantly signed after President Nixon secretly promised "swift and severe retaliatory action" against North Vietnam if they violated the agreement.
Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger declared they had achieved “peace with honor” and hoped it would last long enough to give Saigon a fighting chance. In fact the war was far from over. Fighting between Saigon and Hanoi continued and even increased in parts of South Vietnam. North Vietnam began preparations to overtake the South. President Nixon, embroiled in the Watergate scandal, did not have the political capital to provide the backup he had repeatedly promised his ally, President Thieu.
On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords officially ended the war in Vietnam. South Vietnamese President Thieu reluctantly signed after President Nixon secretly promised "swift and severe retaliatory action" against North Vietnam if they violated the agreement.
Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger declared they had achieved “peace with honor” and hoped it would last long enough to give Saigon a fighting chance. In fact the war was far from over. Fighting between Saigon and Hanoi continued and even increased in parts of South Vietnam. North Vietnam began preparations to overtake the South. President Nixon, embroiled in the Watergate scandal, did not have the political capital to provide the backup he had repeatedly promised his ally, President Thieu.
This primary source comes from the General Records of the United States Government.
National Archives Identifier: 28264014
Full Citation: Multilateral Agreement between the United States, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam, and Provisional Revolutionary Government of Vietnam (English); 1/27/1973; TIAS 7542; Multilateral and Bilateral: Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet-Nam, January 27, 1973 (Folder 3 of 4, Bilateral - English Text); "Paris Peace Accord"; Treaties and Other International Acts, 1942 - 1995; General Records of the United States Government, Record Group 11; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/paris-peace-accords, April 18, 2024]Activities that use this document
- Analyzing U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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