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The peace treaty ending the Vietnam War was signed on January 27, 1973. In the
treaty, the United States promised to withdraw its troops within 60 days. Both
sides would exchange prisoners, and South Vietnam would hold elections. Early
in 1975, North Vietnam attacked the South, breaking the cease-fire. By then,
the United States had withdrawn its troops and substantially cut its aid to
South Vietnam. On April 30, 1975, the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong
streamed into Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, renaming it Ho Chi Minh
City.
By 1975, 57,000 Americans and untold numbers of Vietnamese had died in Vietnam.
The United States had spent $155 billion in Southeast Asia since 1950. The war
eroded Americans' faith in their government. As the war escalated in the mid to
late 1960's, its critics became more outspoken. University students and
teachers began holding teach-ins in 1965. Hundreds of young men escaped the
draft by fleeing to Canada. Protest marches happened across the country. Those
opposing the war argued that the war cost too much--both in lives and
dollars--and couldn't be won. By 1970, the majority of Americans opposed the
war.
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