After 27 years of conflict it seemed that peace would finally settle on
the Indochina peninsula on 27January 1973 with the signing of a peace
accord in Paris. The North Vietnamese had previously launched their
greatest offensive against South Vietnam but fell short of their
objectives, the destruction of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
(ARVN) and the destruction of the Saigon regime. They now proposed, in
exchange for the release of the US prisoners of war, the withdrawal of
the remaining American forces in Vietnam. Far from feeling committed by
the agreement, the Hanoi leadership prepared the next round, the
ultimate conquest of South Vietnam now that Washington had completely
evacuated its last troops from the country. That first volume sets the
scene, by making an assessment of the situation on the field, in both
tactical and strategic perspectives. It also examines the last episode
of the US gradual withdrawal as well as the implementation of part of
the Peace Accords with the removal by the US Navy of the mines sown by
its aircraft from the North Vietnamese ports and inland waters. It then
presents the respective opposing armed forces and will particularly
focus on the North Vietnamese rebuilding after the havoc wrought by the
American aerial campaign of 1972. Furthermore, the expansion of the
famous Ho Chi Minh Trail, vital for the logistical support of the
communist troops, is thoroughly detailed. The South Vietnamese on their
part placed great emphasis on developing their own air force in order to
try to replace the withdrawal of American airpower. Most at all, it also
details the initial fighting that not only resumed but soon escalated
into divisional-level battles where the South Vietnamese still
prevailed.
