Mark Moyar

So that means the only place really they're getting supplies is Laos.

So the next year, 71, Nixon supports a South Vietnamese effort.

It's all South Vietnamese forces to go in, and they have a big fight.

It's not as successful as they want, but it has short-term benefit, buys time.

In 1972, the North Vietnamese decide they're going to launch a huge offensive.

This is 14 divisions.

This is clearly far beyond any sort of guerrilla war, and it's almost all North Vietnamese coming into the South.

At this point, American ground troops are gone, but U.S.

air power is there and inflicts a crushing defeat on the North Vietnamese.

And so this is one of the indicators that the South Vietnamese are getting their act together, that they can fight off 14 divisions without American ground troops.

Now, then what happens is you have a peace agreement in late 72 that is really, I think, mismanaged by Kissinger.

What Kissinger ends up doing is...

cutting a deal that allows the North Vietnamese troops to stay in South Vietnam.

And South Vietnamese go crazy when they hear this.

And Nixon was actually doing this without telling the South Vietnamese.

And so there's a huge conflict between the Americans and the South Vietnamese.

And then North Vietnamese are also- Why does Kissinger do that?

He, I think, partly didn't realize how bad of an idea it was.

Really?

Yes.