Nixon announces a planned visit to the People’s Republic of China

South Vietnamese ground forces crossed into Laos with U.S. air and logistical support, seeking to disrupt the Hồ Chí Minh Trail. The operation tested Vietnamization and Laos’s sovereignty; Laotian...

South Vietnamese forces withdrew from Laos after heavy losses. The operation failed to permanently sever supply routes and exposed the limits of U.S. claims that Vietnamization could sustain major...

Veterans gathered in Washington for a week of protest, testimony and public actions against the war. The protest challenged the claim that opposition came only from civilians and used veterans’...

Hundreds of veterans opposed to the war gathered in Washington and threw medals or ribbons toward the Capitol. Their action challenged the idea that dissent was disloyal to soldiers and drew attention...

The newspaper published classified Defense Department history revealing that successive U.S. administrations had misled the public about Vietnam. The Nixon administration sought to stop publication;...

Nixon’s visit opened a new phase in U.S.-China relations as the Vietnam War continued. The summit illustrated the unequal diplomatic field: Vietnamese independence struggles were discussed within...

The United States announced an indefinite suspension of public meetings in Paris. As negotiations stalled, combat and bombing continued; public diplomacy became intertwined with pressure tactics and...

The People’s Army of Vietnam launched a major conventional offensive across the demilitarized zone and into the Central Highlands. South Vietnamese forces resisted with substantial U.S. air support....

North Vietnamese forces attacked Lộc Ninh, a district town near Cambodia. The battle formed part of the wider 1972 offensive and involved intense ground fighting and displacement. Its location near...

North Vietnamese forces began a major assault on An Lộc, where South Vietnamese troops and civilians endured a prolonged siege and heavy bombardment. The battle demonstrated the destructive reach of...