PARIS PEACE ACCORDS

"The document began with the statement that "the United States and all other countries respect the independence,sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Vietnam as recognized by the 1954 Geneva Agreements on Vietnam". The inclusion of this provision was a victory for the communist side of the negotiations by allowing that the war was not a foreign aggression against South Vietnam. The main military and political provisions of the agreement were:

• Beginning on 27 January 1973 at midnight, Greenwich Mean Time—in Saigon time, 08:00 on 28 January—there would be an in-place ceasefire. North and South Vietnamese forces were to hold their locations. They were permitted to resupply military materials to the extent necessary to replace items consumed in the course of the truce.
  
  
• Once the ceasefire is in effect, U.S. troops (along with other non-Vietnamese soldiers) would begin to withdraw, with withdrawal to be complete within 60 days. Simultaneously, U.S. prisoners of war would be released and allowed to return home. The parties to the agreement agreed to assist in repatriating the remains of the dead.
  
  
• There would be negotiations between the two South Vietnamese parties—Saigon and the Vietcong—towards a political settlement that would allow the South Vietnamese people to "decide themselves the political future of South Viet-Nam through genuinely free and democratic general elections under international supervision."
  
  
• Reunification of Vietnam was to be "carried out step by step through peaceful means".

Description:
The Paris Peace Accords of 1973 would outline the processes to help establish peace in Vietnam.

​Inquiry Questions: 

• What did the provisions of the Paris Peace Accords outline?
• What negotiates were scheduled? What would they cover?
• How would Vietnam reunification to be carried out based on the provisions outlined?