in secret Cambodia bombings, 36–42
Lake, Tony, 71, 74
Lam. See Hoang Xuan Lam
Lam Son 719, 136–145
Nixon’s and Kissinger’s finger-pointing over, 145–148
Laos
ARVN attack into, 136–145
Kissinger’s desire for military operations inside, 34
map of, xviii (fig.)
Nixon’s and Kissinger’s finger-pointing over, 145–146
protests against invasion of, 149
Le Duan, 55, 60–61
in Easter Offensive of 1972, 168–169
1970 January war assessment by, 86
Le Duc Tho, 59, 61
in Easter Offensive of 1972, 168–169
Kissinger’s description of, 91
1970 April meeting with, 107–109
1970 February meeting with, 91, 93, 95–100
1970 March meeting with, 100–107
1971 talks with, 148–159
1972 May talks with, 179–187
1972 September talks with, 200–212
1972 summer talks with, 189–199
peace agreement finalization by, 209–221, 227–233, 239–241
response to Nixon’s 1970 October standstill cease-fire speech, 135
Le Loi, 141
Lien-Hang Nguyen, 168
Life, Kissinger feature in, 165
Linebacker, 182, 184–186
Congress opposition to, 187–189
Linebacker II, 234–238
linkages, Kissinger’s attempted use of, 45–57
Lodge, George, 15
Lodge, Henry Cabot, Jr.
Bruce’s replacement of, 122–125
Kissinger’s 1965 report on Vietnam to, 15–21
at Paris peace talks, 68
Lon Nol, Nixon’s support of, 111–120
Lord, Winston, 151, 217
MACV. See Military Assistance Command in Vietnam
Mai Van Bo, 58, 63
Mansfield, Mike, 188, 237
Mansfield Amendment, 157
Mao Zedong, 54
Dong’s 1970 meeting with, 131
interest in rapprochement with US, 131–132
McCain, John S., 173
McCord, James, 189
McGovern, George, 118, 167, 183
McNamara, Robert S., 9, 11–12, 58, 157
McNaughton, John, 11–12, 18–19
Menu, 38–39, 116
Metternich, Klemens von, 43–44
Military Assistance Command in Vietnam (MACV)
Nixon’s and Kissinger’s blaming of, 144–146
Nixon’s anger with, 182
See also Abrams, Creighton; Westmoreland, William
military escalation
domestic politics interactions with, 72–74, 78, 120, 146–147, 149, 175, 237–238
Kissinger’s use for, 33–34, 41–42, 70–77, 85, 109, 137–138, 182, 233–235, 244
Laird’s opposition to, 34, 74, 76
in 1972 December, 231–238
Nixon’s 1972, 174–177, 179–187
Tho’s use of, 168–169
Minh. See Duong Van Minh
mining, Haiphong, 183–186
misrepresentation, Kissinger’s habit of, 91–95
Mitchell, John, 7, 76, 189
MOBE. See National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam
Moorer, Thomas, 142–143
Easter Offensive response of, 171–173
Moratorium, 78
Morris, Roger, 71, 74
Moscow. See Soviet Union
Muskie, Edmund, 160–161, 167, 183
My Tho, 224
Napoleon, 44
National Liberation Front (NLF)
DRV insistence on control of South Vietnam by, 48, 51–52, 102, 107, 125–128, 153–155, 203–204
Ten-Point Overall Solution of, 51–52, 59–60
Thieu’s 1968 refusal to negotiate with, 3–5
National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (MOBE), 73–74
national security adviser, Kissinger as new, 7–10
National Security Council (NSC)
documents leaked from, 163
inclusion in The Senior Review Group, 68
Kissinger’s expansion of, 68
1969 January 25 session of, 27–28
Nixon’s structuring of, 6–10
National Security Decision Memorandums (NSDM 1, 2, and 3), 10
National Security Study Memorandum 1 (NSSM 1), 33
National Security Study Memorandum 36, 32
Nazi Germany, Kissinger’s childhood experiences in, 92–93
negotiations
domestic politics affecting, 30–32, 41–42, 85–86, 204
keys to successful, 66, 83
Kissinger’s desire to conduct alone, 201
Kissinger’s failings in, 66–70, 83–86, 218, 243–244
Kissinger’s general framework for, 24–25
Kissinger’s 1965 meeting with Harvard colleagues on, 16–18
Kissinger’s optimum moment for, 82–83, 86–91
Nixon’s doubts about, 88–89, 129–130, 157, 195
as path to peace, 165–166
troop withdrawals affecting, 32–33, 41–42, 60–63, 68–69, 98–99, 120
See also peace talks
Negroponte, John, 215
New York Times
criticisms of Nixon’s 1972 military escalations, 183
Pentagon Papers published by, 157–158
Newsweek, Kissinger feature in, 165
Ngo Dinh Diem, 111, 154
Nguyen, Lien-Hang, 168
Nguyen Cao Ky
Kissinger’s failure to look for alternatives to, 83–84
See also Thieu-Ky-Khiem
Nguyen Duy Trinh, 218
Nguyen Khanh, 154
Nguyen Thi Binh
1970 eight-point peace program by, 57, 126–128
response to Nixon’s 1970 October standstill cease-fire speech, 135
Nguyen Van Thieu, 30, 61
acknowledgement of finalized peace agreement, 240
DRV’s insistence on removal of, 51–52, 102, 107, 125–128, 153–156, 193–195, 203–206, 209–211, 214
Easter Offensive response of, 187
Kissinger’s contempt for, 99–100
Kissinger’s failure to look for alternatives to, 83–84
Kissinger’s 1972 meeting with, 196–199
Kissinger’s 1973 letter to, 94
Kissinger’s shutting out of, 65, 67, 99–100, 152, 201, 223, 244
Kissinger’s support for, 67, 83–84, 99–100, 155–156, 191–192, 203–206
in Laos invasion, 140–144
mistrust of Kissinger by, 100
in 1971 South Vietnam presidential elections, 154–156, 158
1972 October meetings with Haig, 211–214
Nixon’s 1972 December letter to, 236–237
Nixon’s 1972 November letter to, 226–227
peace agreement objections of, 221–231
rejection of Johnson’s 1968 October peace talks, 3–5
response to late 1972 peace talks, 207–208, 211–214
See also Thieu-Ky-Khiem
Niebuhr, Reinhold, 44
Nixon, Richard
bureaucracy dislikes of, 7–10
China’s interest in meeting with, 131–132
Congress opposition to, 187–189
depressed moods of, 89–90, 129
doubts of Kissinger by, 88–89, 129–130, 157, 161–164, 195
Duck Hook response of, 71–78, 112
Easter Offensive response of, 168–180
finger-pointing by, 145–148
Kissinger’s announcement of finalized peace agreement to, 220–221
Kissinger’s comments on, 2
Kissinger’s false peace talk claims to, 93, 97–100, 107–108, 128, 153, 194–195
Laos invasion by, 136–145
Laos invasion protests response of, 149
May 1970 protests response of, 117
National Security Council set up by, 6–10
1968 presidential campaign of, 2–5
1969 decision to bomb Cambodia by, 34–36
1969 Vietnam policy of, 80–81
1970 April standstill cease-fire speech of, 109–111
1970 Cambodia military offensive of, 109–120
1970 October speech on standstill cease-fire, 133–136
1972 exposure of peace talks by, 164–168
1972 North Vietnam bombing by, 174–177, 179–186, 234–238
1972 North Vietnam port mining by, 183–186
1972 presidential election of, 160–161, 177–178, 200, 204, 226
1972 September warnings to Thieu by, 208
1972 visit to China by, 168
Pakistan support by, 161–163
peace agreement announcement by, 241–243
Pentagon Papers response of, 157–158
in Pierre Hotel meeting with Kissinger, 1–2, 6–7
refusal to select policy option for ending Vietnam War, 27–28
secrecy important to, 8, 10, 47, 102–103
secret back-channel of, 57–70
secret Cambodia bombings by, 36–42, 116
Silent Majority speech of, 78–81, 86
Soviet cooperation plan of, 45–57
troop withdrawal under. See troop withdrawal
victory declarations of, 238
Watergate issues of, 189
worries over Kissinger’s emotional eruptions, 75–76
Nixon Doctrine, 69, 78
NLF. See National Liberation Front
Nobel Peace Prize
Kissinger and Tho negotiations leading to, 91
Kissinger’s nomination for, 242
Norodom Sihanouk, 111–113
North Vietnam. See Democratic Republic of Vietnam
North Vietnamese Army. See People’s Army of Vietnam
NSC. See National Security Council
NSDM 1, 2, and 3. See National Security Decision Memorandums
NSSM 1. See National Security Study Memorandum 1
Operation Duck Hook, 70–78, 112
Operation Lam Son 719, 136–145
Nixon’s and Kissinger’s finger-pointing over, 145–148
Operation Linebacker, 182, 184–186
Congress opposition to, 187–189
Operation Linebacker II, 234–238
Operation Menu, 38–39, 116
Operation Pocket Money, 183–186
Operation Rolling Thunder, 3
pacification programs, 18–19, 82, 110
Padelford, Norman, 17
Pakistan, Nixon’s backing of, 161–163
Palmer, Bruce, 146
Paris peace talks. See peace talks
Parrot’s Beak, 39
1970 military offensive in, 113–114
Paul, Pope, 237
PAVN. See People’s Army of Vietnam
peace agreement
cease-fire in, 216, 220, 229, 239, 241
DMZ in, 230–233, 239
DRV announcement of, 225
DRV violations of, 94, 241
finalization of, 209–221, 227–233, 239–241
Nixon’s announcement of, 241–243
North Vietnamese forces in South Vietnam in, 215–217, 219, 223–224, 228, 236–237
political future of South Vietnam in, 209–220, 228–230, 239, 243
POWs in, 210, 229
Thieu’s objections to, 221–231
troop withdrawal in, 210, 216, 224
peace talks
DRV’s 1969 March desire to resume, 40–42
Kissinger’s failings in, 66–70, 83–86
Kissinger’s misrepresentation and revisionism of, 91–95
Kissinger’s optimum moment for, 82–83, 86–91
1968 October, 2–5
1969, 57–70
1970. See Choisy-le-Roi meetings
1970 April, 107–109
1970 February, 91, 93, 95–100
1970 March, 100–107
1970 September, 124–132
1971, 148–159
1972 December, 229–233
1972 May, 179–187
1972 November, 227–229
1972 October, 214–221
1972 September, 200–212
1972 summer, 189–199
1973 January, 239–241
Nixon’s 1972 exposure of, 164–168
troop withdrawal effects on, 32–33, 41–42, 60–63, 68–69, 98–99, 120
See also secret peace talks
peace with honor
birth of formulation for, 21
DRV concessions allowing, 203–204
Nixon’s desire for, 90–91
PENNSYLVANIA, 57–58
Pentagon Papers, 157–158
People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN, North Vietnamese Army)
Cambodia bombings targeting, 36–42, 116
Easter Offensive of, 168–179
Laos attacks targeting, 136–145
in South Vietnam after peace agreement, 201–202, 215–217, 219, 223–224, 228, 236–237
South Vietnam’s 1969 gains against, 86
People’s Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF), South Vietnam’s 1969 gains against, 86
Pham Van Dong
1970 meeting with China, 130–131
rejection of Nixon’s 1969 peace proposals, 51–52
Phnom Penh, 112, 203
PLAF. See People’s Liberation Armed Forces
Pocket Money, 183–186
port mining, 1972 North Vietnam, 183–186
Porter, William, 230
postwar reconstruction aid
DRV’s demand for, 153, 155
as possible option in negotiations, 84, 87, 155
power
Kissinger’s and Nixon’s shared views on, 5–6
Kissinger’s childhood experiences with, 92–93
Kissinger’s concentration of, 46–49, 65–68, 114
POWs. See prisoners of war
presidential elections
1964 US, 13–15
1968 US, 1–5
1971 South Vietnam, 154–156, 158
1972 US, 160–161, 177–178, 200, 204, 226
PRG. See Provisional Revolutionary Government
prisoners of war (POWs)
in finalized peace agreement, 210, 229
in 1970 peace talks, 101–102
in 1971 peace talks, 148, 153, 156
in 1972 peace talks, 190–195, 198–199, 201
protests
against Cambodian invasion, 116–120
against Laos invasion, 149
May 1970 march on White House, 117
military escalation affected by, 72–74, 78, 120, 146–147, 149
against 1972 bombing of North Vietnam, 174
against Nixon’s 1972 military escalations, 183, 187
Provisional Government of National Concord (GNC), 203, 214
Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG)
DRV’s demand for, 51–52, 102, 107, 125–128, 153–156, 193–195, 203–206, 209
1970 eight-point peace program of, 126–128
Soviet support of, 56–57
Pruning Knife, 71–75
Pye, Lucian, 17
Quang Tri City
North Vietnam taking of, 179
South Vietnam counteroffensive on, 186
Raborn, William, 18–19
Radford, Charles, 163
RAND Corporation, Vietnam contingency options study by, 25–27
Reasoner, Harry, 242
reconstruction aid
DRV’s demand for, 153, 155
as possible option in negotiations, 84, 87, 155
Red Flag. See Hongqi
Republic of Vietnam (GVN, South Vietnam)
civil society and cultural identification developing in, 83–84
Communist 1975 victory in, 244
DRV insistence on control of, 48, 51–52, 102, 107, 125�
��128, 153–155, 203–204
DRV 1973 attacks on, 241
Kissinger’s contempt for, 99–100, 244
Kissinger’s shutting out of, 65, 67, 103, 201
map of, xviii (fig.)
1971 presidential elections in, 154–156, 158
North Vietnamese forces allowed to remain in, 201–202, 215–217, 219, 223–224, 228, 236–237
objections to finalized peace agreement, 221–231
peace agreement over political future of, 209–220, 228–230, 239, 243
rejection of Johnson’s October 1968 peace talks, 3–5
troop withdrawals from. See troop withdrawal
urbanization of, 110–111
resignation, Kissinger’s threats of, 76
revisionism, Kissinger’s habit of, 91–95
Rockefeller, Nelson, 1, 7, 13–14
Rodman, Peter, 71, 201
Rogers, William, 8–9
Kissinger’s memos against, 79–80
Kissinger’s replacement of, 68
Kissinger’s shutting out of, 47–49, 65, 67, 76, 139, 201, 244
in Laos invasion, 141
military escalation opposed by, 76
in 1970 Cambodia military offensive, 114–116
in secret Cambodia bombings, 38, 40
Rolling Thunder, 3
Roosevelt, Franklin, 92
Rostow, Walt, 19
Rusk, Dean, 16, 57
Safire, William, 77
Saigon. See Republic of Vietnam
Sainteny, Jean, 59–60
Saxbie, William, 237
Schlesinger, Arthur, Jr., 44
secrecy
of Cambodia bombings, 37–40
Kissinger’s and Nixon’s love of, 8, 10, 47, 102–103
secret peace talks
1969 back-channel negotiations, 57–70
1970 April, 107–109
1970 February, 91, 93, 95–100
1970 March, 100–107
1970 September, 124–132
1971, 148–159
Nixon’s 1972 exposure of, 164–168
secretary of defense. See Laird, Melvin
secretary of state
Kissinger’s appointment as, 68
See also Rogers, William
The Senior Review Group, 68
Sheehan, Neil, 157
Sidey, Hugh, 165
Sihanouk. See Norodom Sihanouk
Silent Majority speech, 78–81, 86
Sirik Matak, 111
Sitton, Ray, 36–37
South Vietnam. See Republic of Vietnam
Soviet Union
China rift with, 53–54
Kissinger’s 1972 April visit to, 175–179
Kissinger’s push for cooperation from, 45–57
1971 diplomatic breakthroughs with, 151
Nixon’s 1972 May letter to, 181–182
Nixon’s 1972 visit to, 176–178, 184–185
Spinoza, Baruch, 44
Stalin, Joseph, 53–54
standstill cease-fire. See cease-fire
State Department
inclusion in The Senior Review Group, 68
Kissinger’s shutting out of, 47–49, 65, 67, 76, 139, 201, 244
Reckless: Henry Kissinger and the Tragedy of Vietnam Page 33
