Vietnam War ends
In October 1972, Nixon’s National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, concluded a secret peace agreement with North Vietnam’s Le Duc Tho. After reviewing the agreement, President Thieu demanded major alterations to the document. Feeling that Hanoi had attempted to embarrass him and to force them back the table, Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong in late December 1972.
On January 15, 1973, after pressuring South Vietnam to accept the peace deal, Nixon announced the end of offensive operations against North Vietnam. Complete ceasefire in South Vietnam, allowed North Vietnamese forces to retain the territory they had captured, released US prisoners of war, and called for both sides to find a political solution to the conflict.
Congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act of 1974, cutting off all military aid. This act removed the threat of air strikes should North Vietnam break the terms of the accords. North Vietnam began a limited offensive in Phuoc Long Province to test Saigon’s resolve but the province fell quickly and Hanoi pressed the attack.
During Vietnam War, the United States suffered 58,119 killed, 153,303 wounded, and 1,948 missing in action. It is estimated that between 2 to 4 million Vietnamese civilians were killed during the conflict. In 1975 the conflict was finally over.