ABSTRACT
Although the American war in Vietnam ended in early 1973 with the signing of the Paris Accords, the removal of all remaining U.S. troops, and the return of the POWs, the United States did not normalize relations with its former enemies for over 20 years. For more than two decades, the United States, embarrassed and embittered by the outcome of the Second Indochina War, continued to regard the Communist government of Vietnam as an enemy. It rejected all requests to normalize relations or develop commercial ties. Washington also endeavored to keep Vietnam isolated from the world family of nations and outside of the developing global economy.
