Microform: Transcripts and Files of the Paris Peace Talks on Vietnam, 1968- 1973

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0099 KCLMA MF 813-824
Held at	: Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.kingscollections.org/catalogues/lhcma ›
Full title	: Microform: Transcripts and Files of the Paris Peace Talks on Vietnam, 1968- 1973
Date(s)	: 1968-1973, 1982
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 12 reels
Name of creator(s)	: US Department of State, based on official documents from political and military representatives of the United States, the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), the Vietnamese National Liberation Army (

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

In Apr 1968 political and military representatives from the United States, South Vietnam and North Vietnam began negotiations in Paris, France, to end the Vietnam War. Two months later, the talks were stalled over the inclusion of representatives from the Vietnamese National Liberation Front (Viet Cong), considered by the US an illegitimate political entity. In 1969, US Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (later US Secretary of State), Dr Henry Alfred Kissinger, once again began conversations with North Vietnamese officials. Backed by intensive US bombing of North Vietnam, and particularly its capital city Hanoi, Kissinger eventually persuaded North Vietnamese officials to negotiate the terms of a cease-fire. Throughout the lengthy negotiations, representatives from all sides sought what they considered an precipitous escape from the war. Finally, in 1972 Deputy Assistant to the President, Gen Alexander Meigs Haig Jr, met with South Vietnamese president Nguyen Van Thieu to discuss the final terms of 'Vietnamization', the process by which the American military presence in South Vietnam would be replaced with troops from the Republic of Vietnam. Also, the Viet Cong military adviser, Le Duc Tho, completed talks with Kissinger relating to the terms of a general cease-fire. On 27 Jan 1973, five years after the commencement of negotiations, a permanent cease-fire was signed between representatives from North Vietnam, the Viet Cong, South Vietnam, and the United States. Transcripts and Files of the Paris Peace Talks on Vietnam, 1968-1973 are the official transcripts of the Paris Peace Talks between political and military officials from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Viet Cong and the United States, 31 Mar 1968-26 Feb 1973.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Transcripts and Files of the Paris Peace Talks on Vietnam, 1968-1973 are microfilmed copies of the official transcripts of the Paris Peace Talks between political and military representatives from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), the Vietnamese National Liberation Army (Viet Cong), the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), and the United States, and accompanying files relating to the Vietnam War, 1968-1973. Transcripts include copies of the minutes of the Official Conversations between North Vietnamese and US delegates, 13 May 1968-30 Oct 1968 and the Plenary Sessions, 25 Jan 1969-18 Jan 1973. Collection also includes North Vietnamese communiqués relating to alleged American war crimes; North Vietnamese propaganda; official reports from the Viet Cong, including statement on the massacre at Ba-Lang-An, 8 Apr 1969; address before the International Conference on Vietnam by US Secretary of State Dr Henry Albert Kissinger, relating to the cease-fire, 26 Feb 1973.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Arranged chronologically into the following sections: 31 Mar 1968-25 Sep 1968 (MF 813); 2 Oct 1968-27 Mar 1969 (MF 814); 27 Mar 1969-3 July 1968 (MF 815); 10 Jul 1969-14 Oct 1969 (MF 816); 16 Oct 1969-22 Jan 1970 (MF 817); 29 Jan 1970-21 May 1970 (MF 818); 28 May 1970-8 Oct 1970 (MF 819); 15 Oct 1970-25 Feb 1971 (MF 820); 4 Mar 1971-12 Aug 1971 (MF 821); 19 Aug 1971-24 Feb 1972 (MF 822); 16 Mar 1972-31 Aug 1972 (MF 823); 7 Sep 1972-18 Jan 1973 (MF 824)

Conditions governing access:

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be provided for research use only. Enquiries concerning the copyright of the original material should be addressed to University Publications of America, Inc., 4520 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD, 20814-3389, USA

Finding aids:

Summary guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room, Paul Kesaris and Kenneth Schlesinger (eds.), Transcripts and Files of the Paris Peace Talks on Vietnam, 1968-1973 (University Publications of America, Inc, Bethesda, MD, 1982).

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

University Publications of America, Inc., Bethesda, MD, with fully indexed guide edited by Paul Kesarsis and compiled by Kenneth Schlessinger.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:

Date(s) of descriptions:
Date of compilation: Jun 1999