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Year 11
Edexcel

The Paris Peace agreement, 1973

I can explain the significance of the Paris Peace Agreement.

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New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

The Paris Peace agreement, 1973

I can explain the significance of the Paris Peace Agreement.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Nixon used a ‘carrot and stick’ approach to restart negotiations
  2. The US accepted the unification of Vietnam during the Paris Peace Agreement
  3. The USA had to withdraw from Vietnam
  4. The USA agreed not to involve itself in Vietnamese affairs
  5. Saigon fell to North Vietnam when the North invaded South Vietnam again in 1975

Common misconception

The US has always been too large and powerful to lose a war.

The majority of people regard the Vietnam War as a loss for the US: they did not achieve their stated goal of containing communism.

Keywords

  • Treaty - a treaty is a formal agreement between countries

  • Unification - unification means to join together or make something whole

  • Ceasefire - a ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war, in which both sides agree to pause aggressive actions

Show students videos from the Fall of Saigon to help them appreciate the hurried nature of the US' exit from Vietnam.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What year did President Johnson begin peace negotiations between North and South Vietnam?
Correct answer: 1968
1969
1970
1971
Q2.
Which issue prevented negotiations from beginning quickly?
where the negotiations would take place
how long the negotiations would last for
what the menu would be during the negotiations
Correct answer: what shape the negotiating table would be
Q3.
Who was Nixon in secret contact with during the 1968 presidential election?
Ho Chi Minh
Le Duc Tho
Ngo Dinh Diem
Correct answer: Nguyen Van Thieu
Q4.
Place the events in chronological order.
1 - Johnson begins peace negotiations with North and South Vietnam.
2 - Nixon begins secret negotiations with North Vietnam.
3 - North Vietnam begin the Easter Offensive.
4 - The US begin Operation Linebacker.
5 - A draft peace treaty is drawn up.
Q5.
Which countries did Nixon make trips to in order to improve relations with whilst the peace negotiations were ongoing?
Cambodia
Correct answer: China
Laos
Thailand
Correct answer: USSR
Q6.
Complete the sentence: Henry Kissinger publicly announced that " is at hand" in reference to the draft peace treaty that he had helped to write.
Correct Answer: peace, Peace

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What did Nixon promise South Vietnamese president Nguyen Van Thieu if he would resume peace talks in December 1972?
$500 million in military equipment
Correct answer: $1 billion in military equipment
a seat on the UN Security Council
control of SEATO
Q2.
Complete the sentence: Operation Linebacker II is also known as the Bombings, after the time of year when it took place.
Correct Answer: Christmas, christmas
Q3.
Match the keywords to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:treaty,a formal agreement between countries

a formal agreement between countries

Correct Answer:ceasefire,a temporary stoppage of a war

a temporary stoppage of a war

Correct Answer:unification,to join together or make something whole

to join together or make something whole

Q4.
Under the terms of the peace treaty, how long did American troops have to leave Vietnam?
1 day
1 week
30 days
Correct answer: 60 days
Q5.
Roughly how many US prisoners of war (POWs) were returned once the peace treaty was agreed?
Correct answer: 600
2000
8000
32 000
Q6.
When did North Vietnam begin their final offensive against South Vietnam?
March 1973
March 1974
Correct answer: March 1975
March 1976

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