McGovern—“He’s an Awful Man,” Pressuring and Appeasing Thieu and Reneging on a Peace Agreement That Was  “Good Enough,” Moving Without and Threatening Thieu, the Connally Problem—“He’s a Total Lightweight,” Nixon’s Distancing, Visit of a Thieu Emissary, B

Abstract This chapter discusses George McGovern’s charge that Kissinger’s “peace is at hand” declaration was a deception and Kissinger’s claim that the October peace agreement was “on track.” It also discusses Kissinger’s threat to resign if John Connally were appointed secretary of state. Plus the chapter goes into South Vietnamese President Thieu’s demand for many changes in the peace agreement; Kissinger and Nixon’s consideration of proceeding without Thieu, making a bilateral agreement with North Vietnam, and breaking relations with Thieu; Nixon’s threat to cut off Thieu’s aid; an impasse in the peace talks resulting from U.S. reneging on the October peace agreement; and leaks that Nixon had distanced himself from Kissinger over the talks. And it takes up the massive “Christmas bombing” of North Vietnam, including of Hanoi and Haiphong, after the talks collapsed, though Nixon and Kissinger acknowledged that the October agreement would have been “good enough.”