President Nixon ordered a halt to American bombing in North Vietnam following peace talks in Paris. Henry Kissinger initiated the draft of the peace proposal with the representatives from North Vietnam, South Vietnam and United States which had been at the negotiating table. The proposal contains the progress that has been made that compromises on all sides.

President Richard Nixon halts the most concentrated bombing as well as mining, shelling and all other offensive action against North Vietnam. Although attacks against the North Vietnam had been halted, air assaults continued against communist forces in South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Instead of having a peace treaty among these nations, North Vietnamese representatives walked out of secret talks with Kissinger. President Nixon issued an ultimatum to Hanoi to send it representatives back to the conference table. The North Vietnamese rejected Nixon’s demand and Nixon ordered Operation Linebacker II air campaign against the Hanoi area. The operation was the most concentrated air offensive of the war dropping 700 B-52 sorties and more than 1,000 fighter-bomber sorties dropped roughly 20,000 tons of bombs.

After 11 days of intensive bombing, North Vietnamese representatives agreed to return to the talks and quickly worked out a settlement. The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 23 and cease-fire took affect five days later.