ABSTRACT
As officials signed the Paris Agreement in January 1973, fewVietnamese leaders of any political persuasion believed that it repres-ented more than a brief cease-fire while the Americans departed. Hanoi remained determined to unify the country under its direction while Saigon intended to maintain itself as an independent state. Anticipating a renewed political and military struggle, in the last days before the agreement took effect both sides maneuvered to extend their influence over the countryside.
