1972 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent Palestinian terror attacks committed against Israelis during 1972 include:


1972 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent Israeli military counter-terrorism operations (military campaigns and military operations) carried out against Palestinian militants during 1972 include:


1972 in Italian television
This is a list of Italian television related events from 1972.


1972 in Japan
Events in the year 1972 in Japan. It corresponds to Shōwa 47 (昭和47年) in the Japanese calendar.


1972 in Japanese football
1972 in Japanese football is an overview of events relating to football in the Japanese culture.


1972 in LGBT rights
This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 1972.


1972 in Laos
The following lists events that happened during 1972 in Laos.


1972 in Libya
The following lists events that happened in 1972 in Libya.


1972 in Luxembourg
The following lists events that happened during 1972 in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.


1972 in Malaysia
This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1972, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.


1972 in Michigan
The Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) each selected the top news stories in Michigan for 1972 as follows:


1972 in Michigan
The AP and UPI also selected the state's top sports stories as follows:


1972 in Michigan, Population
In the 1970 United States Census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 8,875,083 persons, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1980, the state's population had grown 4.4% to 9,262,078 persons.


1972 in Michigan, Population, Cities
The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 70,000 based on 1970 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1960 and 1980 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.


1972 in Michigan, Population, Counties
The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 120,000 based on 1970 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1960 and 1980 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.


1972 in Michigan, Music
The following albums by Michigan artists were released in 1972:


1972 in New Zealand
The following lists events that happened during 1972 in New Zealand.


1972 in New Zealand, Incumbents, Government
The 36th Parliament of New Zealand concluded. A general election was held on 8 December and saw the second National government defeated by a large margin, with the Labour Party winning 55 of 87 seats in Parliament.


1972 in New Zealand, Arts and literature, Radio and Television
See : 1972 in New Zealand television, 1972 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:Television in New Zealand, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand


1972 in New Zealand, Arts and literature, Film
See : Category:1972 film awards, 1972 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1972 films


1972 in North Korea, Events
July 4th North–South Korea Joint Statement1972 North Korean parliamentary election


1972 in Norwegian football
The 1972 season was the 67th season of competitive football in Norway.


1972 in Norwegian football
Viking FK won the title on goal difference with Fredrikstad FK finishing runners-up, while Jan Erik Osland's goal gave SK Brann a 1–0 win over Rosenborg BK in the Norwegian cup final.


1972 in Norwegian music
The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 1972 in Norwegian music.


1972 in Peru
This article lists events from the year 1972 in Peru.


1972 in Philippine television
The following is a list of events affecting Philippine television in 1972. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and carriage disputes.


1972 in Portugal, Arts and entertainment
Portugal participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1972, with Carlos Mendes and the song "A festa da vida".


1972 in Portugal, Sport
In association football, for the first-tier league seasons, see 1971–72 Primeira Divisão and 1972–73 Primeira Divisão; for the Taça de Portugal seasons, see 1971–72 Taça de Portugal and 1972–73 Taça de Portugal.


1972 in Rhodesia
The following lists events that happened during 1972 in Rhodesia.


1972 in Scottish television
This is a list of events in Scottish television from 1972.


1972 in Singapore
The following lists events that happened during 1972 in Singapore.


1972 in South Africa
The following lists events that happened during 1972 in South Africa.


1972 in Swedish football
The 1972 season in Swedish football, starting April 1972 and ending November 1972:


1972 in Taiwan
Events from the year 1972 in Taiwan, Republic of China. This year is numbered Minguo 61 according to the official Republic of China calendar.


1972 in Thailand
The year 1972 was the 191st year of the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thailand. It was the 27th year in the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), and is reckoned as year 2515 in the Buddhist Era.


1972 in Thailand, Incumbents
This Thailand-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1972 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1972 to Wales and its people.


1972 in Zaire
The following lists events that happened during 1972 in Zaire.


1972 in Zaire, Sources
This year in Africa article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1972 in architecture
The year 1972 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.


1972 in association football
The following are the football (soccer) events of the year 1972 throughout the world.


1972 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1972. This particular year remains the deadliest year in commercial aviation history since 1942; 2,313 people were killed in aviation accidents.


1972 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the year 1972  throughout the world.


1972 in baseball, Labor strife and more moving
1972 was tainted by a players' strike over pension and salary arbitration. The strike erased the first week and a half of the season, and the Leagues decided to just excise the lost portion of the season with no makeups. As a result, an uneven number of games were cancelled for each team; some as few as six, some as many as nine. The lack of makeups of those games, even when they affected playoffs, led to the Boston Red Sox losing the American League East by half a game to the Detroit Tigers.


1972 in baseball, Labor strife and more moving
1972 marked the first year for the Texas Rangers, who had moved to Arlington from Washington, D.C. (where they played as the Washington Senators), after the 1971 season. There would be no baseball in D.C. until  2005. The team was one of the worst ever fielded by the franchise, losing 100 games for the first time since 1964. Manager Ted Williams hated living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and resigned at the end of the season.


1972 in baseball, Labor strife and more moving
1972 would mark the Kansas City Royals' final year at Kansas City Municipal Stadium, as the next year they would move to Royals Stadium (later named Kauffman Stadium) at the Truman Sports Complex in suburban Kansas City.


1972 in baseball, Labor strife and more moving
The World Series was won by the Oakland Athletics, the first of three straight behind the bats of Reggie Jackson and Bert Campaneris, and the pitching cadre of Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers and Vida Blue. The year ended on a sad note when Roberto Clemente died in an airplane crash off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on New Year's Eve, while participating in aid efforts after the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake.


1972 in comics
Notable events of 1972 in comics. See also List of years in comics.


1972 in comics, Awards, Goethe Awards
Published in The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom (TBG) #38 (June 15, 1973) (for comics published in 1972). Ballots were printed in TBG, Comic Crusader, The Comic Reader, the Gazette Advertiser, The Menomonee Falls Gazette, and Rocket's Blast Comicollector. 1,011 fans cast their votes. Winners in each category are listed in boldface, along with other fan-selected nominees in order of finish.


1972 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1972.


1972 in film, Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1972 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:


1972 in fine arts of the Soviet Union
The year 1972 was marked by many events that left an imprint on the history of Soviet and Russian Fine Arts.


1972 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, and miniatures games  published in 1972. For video and console games, see 1972 in video gaming.


1972 in heavy metal music
This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1972.


1972 in ice hockey
The following is a chronicle of events during the year 1972 in ice hockey.


1972 in jazz
This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1972.


1972 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1972.


1972 in motorsport
The following is an overview of the events of 1972 in motorsport including the major racing events, motorsport venues that were opened and closed during a year, championships and non-championship events that were established and disestablished in a year, and births and deaths of racing drivers and other motorsport people.


1972 in motorsport, Annual events
The calendar includes only annual major non-championship events or annual events that had significance separate from the championship. For the dates of the championship events see related season articles.


1972 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1972.


1972 in music, Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest in the charts of 1972.


1972 in paleontology
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1972.


1972 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Newly named birds
An Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1972 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Newly named birds
A Corvidae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1972 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Newly named birds
A Spheniscidae, placed in synonymy with Paraptenodytes robustus (Ameghino, 1895) by Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche, 2005, but Sara Bertelli, Norberto P. Giannini & Daniel T. Ksepka, 2006 disagree with her and say it needs another genus.


1972 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Newly named birds
A Gruidae, transferred to the genus Grus by Jíří Mlíkovský, 2002.


1972 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Newly named birds
A Corvidae, sometimes placed in the genus Calocitta G. R. Gray, 1841.


1972 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Newly named birds
A Phasianidae, this is the type species of the new genus.


1972 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Newly named birds
A Strigidae, transferred to and made the type species of the new genus Alasio by Jirí Mlíkovský, 1998.


1972 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Newly named birds
A Rallidae, transferred to the genus Palaeoaramides Lambrecht, 1933 by Storrs L. Olson, 1977. Subsequently, made the type species of a separate genus Mioporphyrula by Zelenkov (2015).


1972 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).


1972 in poetry, Works published in English
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:


1972 in poetry, Works published in other languages
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:


1972 in poetry, Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1972 in professional wrestling
1972 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.


1972 in rail transport
This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1972.


1972 in science
The year 1972 in science and technology involved some significant events, listed below.


1972 in spaceflight
1972 saw humanity's last crewed mission to the Moon of the 20th century, Apollo 17.


1972 in sports
1972 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.


1972 in television
The year 1972 involved some significant events in television. Below is a list of notable television-related events.


1972 in the European Communities
The signing of the treaties of accession by Denmark, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Norway occurred on 22 January. While Norwegian voters later in the year rejected the treaty in a referendum later that year, the three other states joined the EC on 1 January 1973.


1972 in the Philippines
1972 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in the year 1972.


1972 in the United Arab Emirates
The following lists events that happened during 1972 in the United Arab Emirates.


1972 in the Vietnam War
1972 in the Vietnam War saw foreign involvement in South Vietnam slowly declining. Two allies, New Zealand and Thailand, which had each contributed military contingents, left South Vietnam this year. The United States continued to participate in combat, primarily with air power to assist the South Vietnamese army, while negotiators in Paris tried to hammer out a peace agreement and withdrawal strategy for the United States.


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam numbered 133,200, a reduction from more than 500,000 in 1968.


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
The North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN)  Campaign Z threatened the Royal Lao Army base at Long Tieng but was eventually repelled.


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
The Cambodian Khmer National Army (ANK) withdrew from the town of Ponhea Kraek (Krek) near the Fishhook abandoning the last remaining road link between Cambodia and South Vietnam. Further south in the Parrot's Beak the South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) began Operation Prek Ta against the PAVN in that area of Cambodia. The objective of the offensive was to disrupt the preparations of the North Vietnamese for an anticipated offensive on Tết, 15 February.


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
Le Duc Tho, Politburo member and secret negotiator for North Vietnam in the Paris peace talks, cabled the head of Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN) in South Vietnam that "we and the enemy are preparing for a ferocious confrontation ... during the upcoming spring and summer." In addition to supporting the PAVN troops in South Vietnam, Tho instructed COSVN to devote attention to attacking the Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS) pacification program] and to the political struggle in the cities of South Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
President Richard Nixon announced that 70,000 American troops would be pulled out of South Vietnam by 1 May, cutting the existing force of 139,000 by half.


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
Leaders of 46 Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish organizations met in Kansas City and asked for the withdrawal of American military personnel from South Vietnam and a cut-off in aid to the South Vietnamese government.


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
The head of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), General Creighton Abrams cabled Washington that "the enemy [North Vietnam] is preparing and positioning his forces for a major offensive.... There is no doubt this is to be a major campaign." Abrams requested additional authority to use U.S. American air power to mount an effective defense.


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
President Nixon revealed that National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger had been meeting secretly with North Vietnamese representatives for more than 2 years. He also revealed the U.S. peace plan that had been proposed to Hanoi. Nixon proposed that, within six months of an agreement, all U.S. military be withdrawn from South Vietnam, Prisoners of War exchanged, an internationally supervised cease fire implemented, and a presidential election held in South Vietnam. Nixon did not demand the withdrawal of North Vietnamese military forces from South Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
In a performance at a White House gala dinner by the Ray Conniff Singers, one of the singers, Carole Feraci, held up a banner reading "Stop the Killing" and said "President Nixon, stop bombing human beings, animals and vegetation. You go to church on Sundays and pray to Jesus Christ, if Jesus Christ were here tonight, you would not dare to drop another bomb."


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
North Vietnam criticized the U.S. for making public the details of secret peace talks. North Vietnam introduced its peace plan which demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of U.S. military personnel from South Vietnam and the resignation of the Thieu government.


1972 in the Vietnam War, January
David Morrell's novel First Blood about a troubled homeless Vietnam veteran named Rambo is published. In October 1982 the film adaptation First Blood was released.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
President Nixon approved additional authority to General Abrams in South Vietnam to use American power to counter the anticipated North Vietnamese offensive. Specifically, the President acknowledged the growing threat from North Vietnamese surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and authorized the United States Air Force (USAF) to strike against SAM sites in the southern part of North Vietnam and neighboring Laos.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
The last of Thailand's 12,000 troops in South Vietnam depart to return home.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
President Nixon ordered the draw down of USAF assets halted and the reassignment (Operation Bullet Shot) of 150 B-52 heavy bombers to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield in Thailand in anticipation of the PAVN offensive in South Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
Operation Strength was an RLA offensive against PAVN forces in northern Laos to drawn forces away from besieging Long Tieng.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
U.S. and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) aircraft completed a 24-hour period of bombing strikes against North Vietnam, with almost 400 bombing strikes carried out.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
G. McMurtrie Godley, U.S. Ambassador to Laos, responded negatively to a proposal by the White House, Defense Department, State Department and CIA that Laotian and Thai troops and American CIA operatives be withdrawn from Long Tieng, the headquarters of Laotian resistance to the communist Pathet Lao and PAVN. Godley argued that withdrawing from Long Tieng would plunge the United States into "an abyss" and be "a dramatic military setback and political disequilibrium at the time of the President's visit to Peking.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
Operation Sinsay was a planned RLA offensive that was pre-empted by a PAVN attack the reached Pakse, but RLA forces were then deployed to attack the PAVN lines of communications forcing their withdrawal.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
Washington responded to Ambassador Godley in Laos conceding that it was "not in position to give you detailed tactical instructions from this distance." The Department of Defense maintained that Godley should be ordered to "thin out" the forces defending Long Tieng. The State Department, CIA, and White House disagreed and left the proposed thinning out to Godley's discretion. Godley chose to defend Long Tieng and the town was held for another three years until the final Communist victory in Laos.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
On this day and the five previous days the U.S. conducted the heaviest U.S. bombing raids of the war to date. The targets were PAVN and Viet Cong (VC) bases and infiltration routes into South Vietnam. The bombing was aimed at disrupting PAVN/VC preparations for the anticipated Tết offensive.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
The Tết holiday in Vietnam. The anticipated Tết offensive by the PAVN/VC did not occur.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
Three U.S. warplanes were shot down over North Vietnam in raids to destroy artillery positions.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
Nixon arrived in Beijing, China and met with Mao Zedong in the first direct face to face meeting between a Chinese Communist leader and an American President. North Vietnam feared that the Americans and Chinese would come up with a deal disadvantageous to North Vietnam. With the relationship of the United States improving with both the Soviet Union and China the Vietnam War "began to seem an irrelevant, troublesome historical leftover that might endanger the new relationships."


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
The North Vietnamese and VC delegations walked out of the Paris Peace Talks in protest at the recent upsurge in U.S. bombing. They would return to the negotiations the following week.


1972 in the Vietnam War, February
The Republic of Korea (South Korea) completed the withdrawal of its Marine brigade from South Vietnam. Two Republic of Korea Army divisions totaling 36,000 men remained in South Vietnam. The United States financed the South Korean military force.


1972 in the Vietnam War, March
Operation Strength II was an RLA offensive designed to draw PAVN forces away from besieging Long Tieng. The operation failed to divert PAVN forces.


1972 in the Vietnam War, March
U.S. bombing of anti-aircraft installations extended up to 120 miles (190 km) north of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The 86 air raids carried out in North Vietnam so far in 1972 equaled the number of air raids against North Vietnam during all of 1971.


1972 in the Vietnam War, March
The U.S. 101st Airborne Division left South Vietnam, the last U.S. ground combat division to be withdrawn.


1972 in the Vietnam War, March
The Khmer Rouge bombarded the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh with artillery, killing more than 100 civilians. This was the heaviest attack on Phnom Penh since the Cambodian Civil War began in 1970.


1972 in the Vietnam War, March
The Lavelle Affair began when USAF General John D. Lavelle, commander of Seventh Air Force, was accused of breaching the rules of engagement for reconnaissance patrols and protective reaction strikes over North Vietnam, allowing the falsifying of records to show that U.S. aircraft had been fired on and so allowing them to hit North Vietnamese targets. Lavelle would be forced to retire as a Major General and was replaced by General John W. Vogt, Jr. on 10 April.


1972 in the Vietnam War, March
The PAVN 101D Regiment attacked the ARVN 42nd Ranger Group at Kompong Trach in Cambodia. Each side reinforced and the fighting continued until the end of April when the ARVN withdrew having inflicted heavy losses on the PAVN 1st Division. The battle was the first phase of the Easter Offensive in southern Cambodia and the Mekong Delta.


1972 in the Vietnam War, March
The United States boycotted peace negotiations in Paris with the North Vietnamese, citing the failure of North Vietnam to negotiate seriously.


1972 in the Vietnam War, March
The long anticipated offensive by the PAVN/VC began. Called the Nguyễn Huệ Offensive or Chiến dịch Xuân hè 1972 in Vietnamese and the Easter Offensive in English, three PAVN divisions (30,000–40,000 men) with support from tanks and artillery crossed the DMZ or came from Laos to the west to attack the ARVN 3rd Division. Although a North Vietnamese offensive had been expected, the invasion across the DMZ was a surprise and the ARVN was ill-prepared. Several small firebases were overrun within hours.


1972 in the Vietnam War, March
North Vietnam's military objectives in launching what would be a three-pronged offensive were the capture of the cities of Quang Tri in the northern part of South Vietnam, Kontum in the Central Highlands and An Loc in the south.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
Operation Fa Ngum was an RLA operation to capture the villages of Ban Ngik and Laongam as bases for incursions onto the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The RLA captured Laongam, but were repulsed by the PAVN in their attacks on Ban Ngik.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
ARVN forces numbering about 1,500 soldiers at Camp Carroll, a former United States Marine Corps base a few miles south of the DMZ, surrendered to the PAVN. Camp Carroll was important to South Vietnam because of its M107 175 mm artillery with a range of up to 20 miles (32 km). The capture of Camp Carroll gave the PAVN control of western Quảng Trị Province.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
With the city of Đông Hà near the DMZ threatened, Nixon authorized U.S. naval vessels offshore to strike at the PAVN with warplanes and naval gunfire.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton was the sole survivor of an EB-66 shot down near Đông Hà. His rescue was the longest and most costly search and rescue mission during the war resulting in the loss of five aircraft, 11 U.S. killed and two captured.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
Nixon authorized increased bombing of PAVN troops in South Vietnam and B-52 strikes against North Vietnam. He said, "These bastards have never been bombed like they're going to be bombed this time."


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
The PAVN attacked South Vietnamese positions in northern Binh Dinh province from their stronghold in the An Lao Valley. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces had contested the An Lao valley with the PAVN 3rd Division since Operation Masher in January 1966. PAVN/VC forces overran many ARVN positions.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
The second prong of the Easter Offensive was the movement across the border from Cambodia of the VC 5th Division and an attack on 4,000 ARVN defenders at the Battle of Loc Ninh. Lộc Ninh was a small district town in Bình Long Province, approximately 75 miles (121 km) north of Saigon. Nearly all of the ARVN defenders were killed or surrendered.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
Proceeding southward from the Lộc Ninh, PAVN/VC soldiers succeeded in surrounding the city of An Lộc, the capital of Bình Long Province and the objective of the southern prong of the Easter Offensive. The defenders of An Lộc would henceforth be supplied and reinforced by air.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
In Washington, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger warned Soviet Ambassador Anatoli Dobrynin that the U.S. might take "drastic measures to end the [Vietnam] war once and for all."


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
For the first time since November 1968, U.S. B-52s bombed North Vietnam in Operation Freedom Train. Their priority targets were SAM sites. The U.S. called the SAM sites "the most sophisticated air defenses in the history of air warfare.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
A PAVN rocket attack on Da Nang Air Base killed 14 Vietnamese civilians.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
The United States Senate voted 68–16 to approve the War Powers Act, which would limit the power of the President to commit American forces to hostilities without Congressional approval. The legislation then moved on to the House.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
After several days of artillery strikes, the PAVN attacked An Lộc with tanks and infantry. They were halted at the city outskirts by ARVN defenders and heavy air attacks by the United States. The Battle of An Lộc became a siege that lasted for 66 days and culminated in a victory for South Vietnam. North Vietnam devoted 35,000 soldiers to the battle and siege. The victory at An Lộc halted the PAVN advance towards Saigon.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
The U.S. carried out heavy B-52 and fighter bomber strikes against Hanoi and Haiphong in Operation Freedom Porch. Nixon said, "we really left them our calling card this weekend."


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
Anti -war demonstrators protested the bombing of North Vietnam throughout the United States. Hundreds of protesters were arrested.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
Several Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) MiG-17F fighter-bombers attacked United States Navy warships in the Battle of Đồng Hới. This was the first air attack on U.S. warships of the Vietnam War. A gun mount on the USS Higbee was destroyed. The U.S. navy sunk several motor torpedo boats and shot down several VPAF planes and also engaged shore batteries in North Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
President Nixon announced that American troops would be reduced in numbers in South Vietnam from 69,000 on this date to 49,000 by 1 July. Many of those being withdrawn from South Vietnam went to Thailand to prosecute the air war from there. USAF strength in Thailand increased from 32,000 to 45,000. In addition, four additional aircraft carriers were stationed off the coast of Vietnam and the number of B-52s stationed in Thailand and Guam was increased from 50 to 200.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
Secretary of State Kissinger visited Moscow and met with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev to prepare for an upcoming summit meeting between Nixon and Brezhnev. Nixon instructed Kissinger that his top priority was to get Soviet cooperation in seeking an agreement to end hostilities in South Vietnam. Brezhnev said he would use Soviet influence but he could not dictate to North Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
100,000 people in various cities around the United States protest increased bombing by the US in Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
The PAVN uses AT-3 Sagger anti-tank guided missiles for the first time in combat, attacking the ARVN 20th Tank Regiment destroying one M48A3 and one M113 armored cavalry assault vehicle (ACAV) and damaging a second ACAV.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
After preliminary encounters, the third prong of the Easter Offensive began in the Central Highlands. The PAVN 2nd Division supported by tanks attacked the ARVN 47th Regiment, 22nd Division at Tân Cảnh Base Camp. By nightfall on 24 April, the PAVN had overrun Tan Canh and nearby Dak To II Base Camp and the 22nd Division had disintegrated.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
The U.S. 1st Combat Aerial TOW Team arrived in South Vietnam to test the new BGM-71 TOW anti-armor missile under combat conditions. The team consisted of two UH-1B helicopters each mounting the XM26 TOW weapons system.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
Da Nang Air Base was hit by PAVN 122mm rockets prompting a call for Marines to provide base security and on 25 May the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines was deployed to the base.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff assessed the performance of South Vietnamese armed forces thus far in the Easter offensive as "encouraging."


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
The first kill is made by a PAVN SA-7 Man-portable air-defense system.


1972 in the Vietnam War, April
Approximately 2,000 South Vietnamese civilians are killed by indiscriminate PAVN artillery fire as they fled Quảng Trị along Highway 1.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
The city of Quảng Trị was captured by the PAVN, the only provincial capital to fall to them during the Easter Offensive.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
The preceding week saw South Vietnamese casualties, especially near Quảng Trị, reach their highest level of the entire Vietnam War. The ARVN 3rd and 22nd Divisions had disintegrated.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
In the first combat kill using the TOW missile the U.S. 1st Combat Aerial TOW Team destroyed an American-made M41 operated by the PAVN near An Lộc.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
Lieutenant General Ngô Quang Trưởng assumed command of I Corps replacing the ineffectual General Hoàng Xuân Lãm.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
The Paris Peace Talks were suspended indefinitely after the United States and South Vietnam pulled out because of "a lack of progress".


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
United Press International photographer David Hume Kennerly is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for his photos taken in Cambodia and South Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
Nixon withdrew his demand for a withdrawal of all North Vietnamese forces from South Vietnam as a precondition for a peace agreement. Nixon proposed that all US POWs be released and an internationally supervised cease fire take place. The U.S. would cease bombing and withdraw from South Vietnam within six months after those conditions were met.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
Nixon also announced Operation Pocket Money, the mining of Haiphong and other North Vietnamese harbors, calculating correcting that he could take such a step without endangering the U.S.'s improving relationships with China and the Soviet Union. Nixon's action inspired an outbreak of anti-Vietnam War protests around the U.S. with 1,800 arrests of protesters reported.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
Rear Admiral Rembrandt C. Robinson and two others were killed when their helicopter crashed while landing on USS Providence in the Gulf of Tonkin. He was the only U.S. Navy Flag officer killed in the war.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
The PAVN 203rd Tank Regiment attacked Ben Het Camp. ARVN Rangers destroyed the first three PT-76 tanks with BGM-71 TOW missiles, thereby breaking up the attack. The Rangers spent the rest of the day stabilising the perimeter ultimately destroying 11 tanks and killing over 100 PAVN.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
Lieutenant Duke Cunningham and Lieutenant William P. Driscoll of VF-96 become the only U.S. Navy aces of the war scoring their third, fourth and fifth kills of MiG-17s in a single mission. Their F-4J was then hit by a SAM-2 missile and they ejected successfully over the Gulf of Tonkin and were rescued.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
U.S. aircraft achieve their highest number of aerial kills of the war, downing 11 VPAF jets (seven MiG-17s and four MiG-21s)


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
A U.S. Army CH-47A crashed near Saigon killing all 34 onboard.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
USAF First Lieutenant Michael Blassie of the 8th Special Operations Squadron was killed when his A-37B Dragonfly was shot down near An Lộc. His remains and some personal effects were recovered from the crash site by the ARVN five months later and turned over to the U.S. military. The remains were later reclassified as unknown and on 17 May 1984 his remains were designated as the Vietnam Unknown service member. On 28 May 1984 his remains were entombed at Arlington National Cemetery. The remains were exhumed on 14 May 1988 and identified as Blassie through DNA testing. Later in 1988 he was reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
China condemned the mining of North Vietnamese ports and pledged ongoing support for North Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
The Thanh Hóa Bridge in North Vietnam was destroyed by laser-guided bombs, "accomplishing in a single mission what seven years of nonprecision bombing had failed to do". The U.S. had first bombed the 540-foot-long (160 m) concrete and steel structure in 1965.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
In one of the largest and most intense battles of the Easter Offensive, PAVN forces assaulted the city of Kontum and the nearby South Vietnamese base in the Battle of Kontum. Intensive U.S. airstrikes helped the ARVN fend off the PAVN and retain control of the city and nearby area although fighting in the area would continue.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
Operation Enhance began with the objective of replacing material and equipment expended or lost by South Vietnam during the Eastern Offensive. From May to October under Operation Enhance, the U.S. provided the South Vietnamese armed forces with artillery and anti-tank weapons, 69 helicopters, 55 jet fighters, 100 other aircraft and seven patrol boats.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker and Abrams met with Thieu.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
Nixon began a state visit to the Soviet Union. The visit was part of his strategy to improve relations with both the Soviet Union and China in order to pressure North Vietnam to accept peace on terms acceptable to the United States.


1972 in the Vietnam War, May
The 39th Rangers capture two SA-7 missile launchers, one was immediately sent to the U.S. for evaluation.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
USAF Major Roger Locher, whose F-4D had been shot down on 10 May, was finally rescued after 23 days behind enemy lines. He was 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Hanoi and within 5 miles (8.0 km) of the heavily defended Yên Bái Air Base. His time behind enemy lines and successful rescue was a record for the war and was the farthest penetration of an American search and rescue operation into North Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
Operation Thunderhead was a secret combat mission conducted by U.S. Navy SEAL Team One and Underwater Demolition Team (UDT)-11 in 1972. The mission was conducted off the coast of North Vietnam to rescue two U.S. airmen said to be escaping from a prisoner of war prison in Hanoi.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
The first presidential election held in the Khmer Republic resulted in a victory for the incumbent, Lon Nol, although counting within the capital Phnom Penh showed a majority for challenger In Tam. Lon Nol ordered the FANK to collect and count the poll results from the countryside, where In Tam had had greater support, and was soon declared the winner.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
An Air America C-46 crashed on approach to Pleiku Air Base killing all 32 onboard.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
A South Vietnamese village outside of Trảng Bàng District was bombed with napalm in an errant air strike by the RVNAF. Nick Ut took a photograph that became an iconic symbol of the horrors of war. The wirephoto, published on the front pages of newspapers that evening and the next morning showed children crying in pain from their burns, including a 9-year-old girl, Phan Thị Kim Phúc, who had torn her clothes off after catching fire. The image would win a Pulitzer Prize.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
John Paul Vann died in a helicopter crash in South Vietnam. Vann, a retired U.S. army Colonel and head of CORDS for the Central Highlands, had directed the defense of Kontum. During his years in Vietnam Vann had acquired much influence and fame and his funeral in Washington was attended by a who's who of U.S. civilian and military leaders.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z, operated by a Convair 880 (VR-HFZ) from Bangkok to Hong Kong, disintegrated and crashed while the aircraft was flying at 29,000 feet (8,800 m) over Pleiku after a bomb exploded in a suitcase placed under a seat in the cabin, killing all 81 people on board.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
Operation Black Lion was an RLA counter-offensive against a PAVN offensive at Khong Sedone. The RLA succeeded in capturing Salavan, but failed to capture Paksan.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
Burglars break into the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington D.C., starting what would become the Watergate scandal.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
In order to reestablish Soviet supply lines to North Vietnam, China agreed that Soviet bloc ships could unload supplies at Chinese ports which would then be moved by rail into North Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
Responding to a U.S. request for a resumption of secret negotiations, North Vietnam. responded that "clothed by its goodwill, [it] agrees to private meetings." The meetings between Kissinger and Le Duc Tho would begin on 19 July.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
The 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division commanded by Brigadier General James F. Hamlet was stood down at Bien Hoa Air Base in a ceremony attended by Abrams and Lieutenant General Nguyễn Văn Minh.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
United States Marine Corps aircraft begin operating from Royal Thai Air Base Nam Phong hitting targets in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
The South Vietnamese Senate passed a bill authorizing Thieu to rule by decree for six months.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
The Second Battle of Quảng Trị (Vietnamese: Thành cổ Quảng Trị) began on June 28 and lasted 81 days until September 16, 1972, when the ARVN defeated the PAVN and recaptured most of the province.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
The 196th Infantry Brigade departs South Vietnam becoming the last U.S. combat brigade to leave.


1972 in the Vietnam War, June
General Frederick C. Weyand assumes command of MACV from General Abrams who is promoted to Chief of Staff of the United States Army.


1972 in the Vietnam War, July
Brigadier General Richard J. Tallman dies of wounds from PAVN artillery fire in the Battle of An Lộc. He was the last U.S. general officer to be killed in action during the war.


1972 in the Vietnam War, July
A USMC CH-53D was hit by an SA-7 and crashed near Quảng Trị, killing 3 crewmen and 45 South Vietnamese Marines.


1972 in the Vietnam War, July
Correspondent Alexander D. Shimkin was killed in a PAVN ambush in Quảng Trị Province. He had earlier raised concerns about potential indiscriminate fire during Operation Speedy Express.


1972 in the Vietnam War, July
Actress Jane Fonda posed for photographs at a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun near Hanoi. Pictures of the actress ran worldwide the next day and earned her the nickname "Hanoi Jane".


1972 in the Vietnam War, July
The U.S. destroyer USS Warrington was damaged beyond repair by two underwater explosions while operating in the Gulf of Tonkin. The blasts were believed to have been caused by American naval mines that had washed away after having been laid in North Vietnam's ports. The Warrington was towed to Subic Bay Naval Base and decommissioned.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
Thieu passed a decree law restricting newspaper and magazine publishing.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
Task Force Gimlet, Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry undertook the last patrol by U.S. troops in the war to seek out PAVN/VC forces firiing rockets at the city of Da Nang. Two U.S. soldiers were wounded by booby traps. The unit was relieved by ARVN soldiers. Task Force Gimlet departed South Vietnam on 11 August.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
Operation Phou Phiang II was an RLA operation to relieve the PAVN siege of Long Tieng. Five columns of RLA/Thai forces attacked PAVN forces but all were defeated despite intensive U.S. air support.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
The ARVN 18th Division recapture Quần Lợi Base Camp from the PAVN, using TOW missiles and M-202 rockets to destroy the base's concrete bunkers.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
The last U.S. ground combat unit, the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment stood down.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
W. Averell Harriman and Cyrus Vance, the two original U.S. negotiators at the Paris Peace Talks, said in a press conference that President Nixon had missed an opportunity in 1969 to end the Vietnam War, at a time when the North Vietnamese had withdrawn most of its combat troops from South Vietnam's northernmost provinces.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
C-130E Hercules #62-1853 of the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron was shot down on takeoff from Sóc Trăng Airfield, killing 30 of 44 passengers and crew on board.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark returned from North Vietnam, where he had traveled as a private individual as part of a factfinding group. Clark said that he had confirmed that the United States was bombing hospitals and dikes, and that he had been told that American prisoners "will be released immediately when we stop this senseless, murderous bombing and end the war and get out, get home, and get to the business of building the peace and giving happiness to little children around the world".


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
Following an artillery barrage the PAVN 711th Division attacked and captured Firebase Ross, including 15-20 of the then secret TOW missiles among the abandoned equipment. The ARVN 4th Regiment recaptured Ross on 9 September 1972.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
USAF Captain R. Stephen Ritchie became the first USAF ace of the war after downing his fifth VPAF MiG-21 in combat.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
President Nixon announced that 12,000 more U.S. soldiers would be withdrawn from South Vietnam over a three-month period, with only 27,000 remaining by 1 December.


1972 in the Vietnam War, August
Ambassador Bunker said to President Nixon that the South Vietnamese "fear they are not yet well enough organized to compete politically with such a tough, disciplined organization", e.g. North Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, September
Admiral Noel Gayler becomes Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command (CINCPAC) replacing Admiral John S. McCain Jr..


1972 in the Vietnam War, September
The elections for the Khmer Republic's 126-member National Assembly took place. Because of a presidential decree designed to give President Lon Nol's Social Republican Party an advantage, the other parties withdrew from participating. The Socio-Republicans won all 126 seats on what was claimed to be a 78% turnout.


1972 in the Vietnam War, September
USAF Captain Charles B. DeBellevue became the last and highest scoring U.S. ace of the war with his fifth and sixth MiG kills.


1972 in the Vietnam War, September
South Vietnamese Marines recaptured Quảng Trị from the PAVN. Quảng Trị had been the only provincial capital to fall to the North Vietnamese in the Easter Offensive.


1972 in the Vietnam War, September
North Vietnamese negotiators in Paris hinted for the first time that they could accept a peace agreement with the United States that did not require the ouster of South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu.


1972 in the Vietnam War, September
The PAVN 1st Regiment, 2nd Division attacked Mộ Đức District with mortars and rockets followed by a ground attack. The attack was repulsed with the loss of one U.S. adviser, 70 ARVN and over 600 PAVN killed.


1972 in the Vietnam War, September
In the first release of prisoners of war since 1969, North Vietnam released three American prisoners, Navy Lieutenants Norris Charles and Markham Gartley and Air Force Major Edward Elias were provided civilian clothes and then allowed to stay in Hanoi with an American welcoming team.


1972 in the Vietnam War, September
North Vietnamese negotiators in Paris proposed that a "Provisional Government of National Concord" be formed in South Vietnam to organize elections leading to the union of South and North Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
An explosion on board the USS Newport News operating off the coast of South Vietnam killed 19 sailors and injured ten others.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
In Paris, Le Duc Tho gave Kissinger documents outlining the North Vietnamese proposal for a peace agreement in Vietnam. The proposal dropped demands for the ouster of President Thiệu and called for the withdrawal of all American troops, the release of all American prisoners of war and a cease fire "in place" which would allow PAVN soldiers in South Vietnam to remain there. A tentative text was agreed upon by both sides.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
Kissinger met with Nixon in Washington to explain the draft peace agreement with North Vietnam. Nixon approved the agreement subject to the agreement of President Thiệu.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
A race riot on the USS Kitty Hawk operating on Yankee Station resulted in 46 crewman injured.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
Operation Black Lion III was an RLA offensive to capture Salavan and Paksan. The RLA were initially successful in capturing both cities but were ejected from Paksan by the PAVN in February.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
Operation Enhance Plus began with the objective of providing additional military equipment and support to South Vietnam. Over the next two months the U.S. gave South Vietnam 234 jet fighter planes, 32 transport planes, 277 helicopters, 72 tanks, 117 armored personnel carriers, artillery and 1,726 trucks. The cost of the equipment was more than $750 million ($5.7 billion in 2015 dollars). Moreover, most of the U.S. supplied equipment of two departing South Korean divisions (approximately 38,000 men) was also given to South Vietnam. In addition, the U.S. transferred title of its military bases and all the equipment on the bases to South Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
After meeting with Kissinger and despite a letter of support from Nixon, President Thiệu said he would never sign the draft peace agreement with North Vietnam. He demanded that all PAVN soldiers be required to leave South Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
Kissinger in Saigon cabled Nixon in Washington, "While we have a moral case for bombing North Vietnam when it does not accept our proposals, it seems to be really stretching the point to bomb North Vietnam when it has accepted our proposals and South Vietnam has not."


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
The United States halted bombing of North Vietnam above the 20th parallel, bringing to a close Operation Linebacker after nearly six months.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
North Vietnam broadcast publicly the terms of the draft peace agreement and accused the United States of negotiating in bad faith.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
In Washington, despite the opposition of South Vietnam to the draft peace agreement and the charges by North Vietnam that the U.S. was negotiating in bad faith, Kissinger declared "peace was at hand" in Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
Campaign 972 was a PAVN offensive that effectively succeeded in cutting Laos in two. The operation ended with the ceasefire pursuant to the Vientiane Treaty ending the Laotian Civil War.


1972 in the Vietnam War, October
One of the final American special forces operations of the war takes place in an intelligence-gathering mission near Cửa Việt Naval Base, Navy SEAL petty officer Michael E. Thornton saves the life of his commanding officer, Lieutenant Thomas R. Norris; he would later be awarded the Medal of Honor, the latest action in the war for which it was awarded. There were only a dozen Navy SEALs still in Vietnam at the time of the mission.


1972 in the Vietnam War, November
Long Binh Post, the largest U.S. base in South Vietnam, is handed over to the South Vietnamese.


1972 in the Vietnam War, November
In an attempt to overcome President Thiệu's objection to the draft peace agreement, Nixon wrote him that "You have my absolute assurance that if Hanoi fails to abide by the terms of this agreement, it is my intention to take swift and severe retaliatory action."


1972 in the Vietnam War, November
Kissinger returned to Paris to meet with Le Duc Tho. Tho accused Kissinger of deception. Kissinger introduced Thiệu's objections to the draft peace agreement. Both North Vietnam and South Vietnam were intransigent, the North Vietnamese demanding the agreement be signed as agreed with the United States, South Vietnam demanding changes.


1972 in the Vietnam War, November
The first B-52 to be downed by enemy fire in the war was hit by a SAM while on a raid over Vinh. The crew was forced to abandon the damaged aircraft over Thailand.


1972 in the Vietnam War, November
Anticipating that the peace agreement would require release of all political prisoners, the government of South Vietnam began charging people detained for political reasons with petty crimes, thus ensuring their continued incarceration. Amnesty International estimated that South Vietnam had imprisoned 200,000 people for political reasons, and would release only 5,000 after the peace agreement came into effect.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Kissinger returned to Paris for further meetings with Le Duc Tho. The negotiations went nowhere and Kissinger returned to Washington on 13 December.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
President Thiệu announced that he still opposed the "false peace" in the draft peace agreement.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Nixon met Kissinger and Presidential military aide General Alexander Haig in Washington and the three of them agreed on an intensified bombing campaign against North Vietnam to, in the words of Haig, "strike hard ... and keep on striking until the enemy's will was broken." The weapon of choice would be the B-52, which had never been used before to strike targets in the vicinity of Hanoi and the city of Haiphong.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
All members of the New Zealand armed forces were withdrawn from South Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
At a press conference, speaking of the negotiations with North Vietnam Kissinger said that "the United States will not be blackmailed into an agreement." Kissinger also warned South Vietnam that "no other party will have a veto over our actions."


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
American warplanes dropped mines off the coast of North Vietnam to prevent ship travel to and from the country.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Operation Linebacker II began. Better known as the "Christmas bombings", 129 B-52s and smaller tactical aircraft struck at targets in North Vietnam, including around the city of Hanoi. North Vietnam shot down three B-52s.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Military adviser Alexander Haig met with Thiệu in Saigon to deliver a letter from Nixon. Nixon said it was his "irrevocable intention" to achieve a peace agreement with North Vietnam, preferably with the cooperation of South Vietnam, "but, if necessary, alone." He pledged continue military support to South Vietnam if Hanoi violated the agreement. Haig told Thiệu, "Under no circumstances will President Nixon accept a veto from Saigon in regard to a peace agreement."


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
North Vietnamese coastal artillery fire hits the USS Goldsborough killing three crewmen.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
North Vietnamese negotiator Xuan Thuy responded to Kissinger's remarks of 16 December. He criticized the U.S. for attempting to introduce changes to the draft peace agreement of October.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Thiệu kept Haig waiting for five hours before seeing him. He attempted to persuade Haig that the U.S. should require the withdrawal of all PAVN soldiers from South Vietnam in any peace agreement. Haig suggested to Nixon that if a peace agreement was not reached the U.S. could consider a unilateral disengagement from South Vietnam in exchange for the return of American POWs by North Vietnam.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
North Vietnam shot down six B-52s, but depleted their supply of SAMs.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Fearing additional losses, the U.S. deployed only 30 B-52s to bomb mostly around Hanoi and Haiphong. Nevertheless, four B-52s were hit by missiles. B-52 crew members complained that the flight patterns assigned to them increased their risk. Flight patterns were changed for subsequent days.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Nixon offered to suspend the U.S. bombing north of the 20th parallel on 31 December if Hanoi agreed to a 3 January meeting in Paris.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
The Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi was struck by seven bombs killing 18 people. The U.S. aircraft were targeting the adjacent Bach Mai Airfield, the VPAF's air defense command and control center.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Opposition to the bombing was extensive among American politicians. In the Senate 45 Senators responding to a poll opposed the bombing as compared to 19 who supported it.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
After a Christmas truce, the U.S. conducted the largest B-52 raid of the war utilizing 120 B-52s. The U.S. lost 2 airplanes. 215 civilians were killed by bombs dropped on a heavily populated area of Hanoi. North Vietnam proposed a resumption of peace talks on January 8.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Thiệu issued decree law 60 which effectively banned all parties other than the Democracy Party, forcing all his political opposition to dissolve or go underground.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
The last bombs of Operation Linebacker II fell near Hanoi, although the U.S. continued light bombing south of the 20th parallel. Of 200 B-52s engaged in the operation, the U.S. said that 15 were shot down as well as 11 other aircraft, while Hanoi claimed that 34 B-52s had been shot down. 61 B-52 crewmen were killed, captured, or missing. Prior to Linebacker II, during seven years of bombing, only one B-52 had been shot down. Destruction of North Vietnam's military and industrial capacity was substantial. North Vietnam said that 1,623 civilians had been killed in Hanoi and Haiphong although most civilians had been evacuated from the cities before the bombing.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Due to the Operation Linebacker II bombings, 80 percent of North Vietnam's electrical power production capability had been eliminated.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Nixon warned North Vietnam that the bombing would resume if the peace talks collapsed again. North Vietnam declared victory and claimed that heavy losses of American aircraft was the motive behind the bombing halt. General Maxwell Taylor, former Ambassador to South Vietnam, said terminating America's commitment to South Vietnam even without a peace agreement should be considered by the President.


1972 in the Vietnam War, December
Operation Maharat II was an RLA offensive to seize the intersection of Routes 7 and 13 from the Pathet Lao. The Pathet Lao withdrew in the face of overwhelming RLA forces.


1972 in the environment
This is a list of notable events relating to the environment in 1972. They relate to environmental law, conservation, environmentalism and environmental issues.


1972 in video games
1972 saw the release of the first commercially successful video arcade game, Pong, and the first video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey.


1972 in video games, Best-selling arcade video games
The following titles were the best-selling arcade video games of 1972 in the United States, according to annual arcade cabinet sales figures provided by Ralph H. Baer.


1972 invasion of Uganda
The 1972 invasion of Uganda was an armed attempt by Ugandan insurgents, supported by Tanzania, to overthrow the regime of Idi Amin. Under the orders of former Ugandan President Milton Obote, insurgents launched an invasion of southern Uganda with limited Tanzanian support in September 1972. The rebel force mostly consisted of the "People's Army" whose forces were mainly loyal to Obote, but also included guerillas led by Yoweri Museveni.


1972 invasion of Uganda
The operation was hampered by problems from the start, as a planned rebel commando raid had to be aborted, Amin was warned of the impending invasion, and the rebels lacked numbers, training, and equipment. Regardless, the militants occupied a few towns in southern Uganda at the invasion's start. However, no major popular uprising erupted as Obote had hoped.


1972 invasion of Uganda
Without mass civilian support and outnumbered as well as outgunned, the rebels were mostly defeated by Amin's loyalists within hours. Most insurgents were killed or captured, while the rest fled in disarray back to Tanzania. Reinforced by allied Libyan and PLO troops, the Ugandan security forces launched operations to hunt down and destroy rebel stragglers, while initiating political purges against suspected Obote supporters. Meanwhile, Amin ordered his air force to retaliate by bombing Tanzania, prompting the latter to mobilize its army along the border.


1972 invasion of Uganda
Before the conflict could escalate into a full war between Uganda and Tanzania, the two countries agreed to a ceasefire under Somali mediation, and subsequently ratified a treaty in Mogadishu to defuse tensions. Despite this, the conflict greatly worsened the already poor relations between Uganda and Tanzania, and ultimately contributed to the Uganda–Tanzania War.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Background
In 1971, a military coup overthrew the President of Uganda, Milton Obote. Colonel Idi Amin installed himself as new Ugandan President and ruled the country under a repressive dictatorship. However, this takeover was initially welcomed by many Ugandans, as Obote had become deeply unpopular in sections of the country's population and Amin presented himself as reformer. He freed several opposition figures who had been imprisoned under Obote, including Shaban Opolot, Grace Ibingira, and Benedicto Kiwanuka.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Background
The coup resulted in a deterioration of relations with neighbouring Tanzania, as Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere withheld diplomatic recognition of the new government and offered asylum to Obote and his supporters. After the coup, Amin launched purges of his enemies, and empowered his own followers to consolidate his regime. The country's military, officially known as Uganda Army (UA), was most affected by this development. Much of its leadership was killed or expelled, while members of ethnic and religious groups supportive of Amin were recruited and promoted en masse.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Background
A large number of soldiers and opposition figures targeted by the purges consequently fled into exile. They set up training camps and organized militant groups in Sudan and Tanzania. Sudanese President Jaafar Nimeiry opposed Amin due to his support for Sudanese Anyanya rebels, while Tanzanian President Nyerere had close ties with Obote and had supported his socialist orientation.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Background
As a result, relations between Uganda and Tanzania became increasingly tense. Nyerere frequently denounced Amin's regime, and Amin made repeated threats to invade Tanzania. The situation was further complicated due to a border dispute, as Uganda claimed that the Kagera Salient—a 720 square miles (1,900 km2) stretch of land between the official border and the Kagera River 18 miles (29 km) to the south, should be placed under its jurisdiction, maintaining that the river made for a more logical border.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Background
The border had originally been negotiated by British and German colonial officials before World War I. In addition to the Kagera Salient, Amin also harbored hopes of acquiring a corridor to the Indian Ocean. Accordingly, he contemplated plans of conquering Tanzania's north, including the harbor town of Tanga. Following an armed clash between soldiers along the countries' common border a few months after the coup, Amin issued rules of engagement which clarified that the Uganda Army was only allowed to attack Tanzania in retaliation or if he gave orders to do so. Regardless, his political stance remained highly aggressive.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Background
At the same time, the Ugandan exiles plotted to overthrow Amin with Tanzanian support. One of the first groups to act was Yoweri Museveni's yet-unnamed militant group. It infiltrated Uganda and attempted to establish a guerrilla base at Mount Elgon in 1971, but the militants were discovered and arrested by security forces. Despite being opposed to Obote and his policies, Museveni and his small group of comrades subsequently decided to team up with the former president, viewing Amin as the greater threat. As time went on, Obote's rebel alliance suffered several setbacks.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Background
Obote had already planned simultaneous invasions from Sudan and Tanzania to take place in August 1971, but this operation was cancelled due to Nyerere's fear of British and Israeli support for Amin, doubts by the Tanzania People's Defence Force's (TPDF) high command about the invasions' chances of success, and inter-rebel feuds.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Background
In early 1972, Amin reportedly requested Israeli aid for an invasion of Tanzania. When the Israeli government refused to provide weaponry for this plan, the Ugandan President responded by severing diplomatic ties and allying with anti-Israeli forces such as Libya under Muammar Gaddafi and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Amin also stopped assisting the Anyanya rebels and signed a deal with Sudan, after which the country expelled most Ugandan insurgents from its soil. Sudan-based Obote loyalists had to be evacuated through Kenya to Tanzania; on the way, many died.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Background
The survivors joined the few hundred already stationed at Kigwa in the Tabora Region. A few rebels remained in southern Sudan, and attempted an invasion of Uganda in April 1972. The operation was easily crushed by the Uganda Army. In August 1972, Amin ordered the expulsion of Asians from Uganda, confiscating their wealth and claiming that he was redistributing it to other Ugandans. This move was very popular locally, and distracted the population from the ongoing economic crisis.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Background
There were growing fears among the rebels and the Tanzanian government that delaying a major rebel invasion continued to dimish its chances of success, while Nyerere was informed that Uganda had joined an international plot to overthrow him. As a result, the Tanzanian President finally signed off a rebel invasion of Uganda for 15 September 1972. Meanwhile, Obote had amassed a force of about 1,300 ex-soldiers who had escaped into exile. His followers were known as the "Uganda People's Liberation Front" (UPLF).


1972 invasion of Uganda, Prelude
Obote's plan for the invasion was complete by 10 September: First, the rebels would "borrow" an East African Airways McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and use it to transport 80 commandos to Entebbe Airport. These rebels would capture the airport, march on Kampala, and capture its radio station to broadcast a prerecorded message by Obote. The former president hoped that this would inspire an uprising by civilians and soldiers. Meanwhile, two strike teams of insurgents would cross the border from Tanzania and attack the important towns of Mbarara and Masaka in southern Uganda.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Prelude
After securing these, the rebel ground forces would push on towards Kampala, Mubende, and Fort Portal. The western team targeted Mbarara would attack from the rebel camp at Kigwe, while the team attacking Masaka would start at the Handeni rebel camp. The Voice of Uganda, the Ugandan state newspaper, claimed Tanzanian intelligence director Lawrence Gama was involved in the invasion's planning.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Prelude
At the same time, the TPDF supplied Museveni's force with guns and assisted them to conduct forays into Uganda to set up anti-Amin cells such as the "Temporary Committee" based in Kampala. Museveni told the Tanzanians that these missions were a great success and that several thousand people were willing to revolt in the Mbarara area. However, he was generally critical of "putschist solutions", believing that Amin could only be toppled through long-term guerrilla war.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Prelude
On 14 September, Museveni was informed of the invasion plans by the Tanzanian defense minister who told him that trucks were already on the way to transport his rebels from their camp to the border. The battle plans presumed that Museveni's undercover network would produce a large number of rebels to assist the invasion. Museveni later claimed that he had not been the one to promise a large fifth column in Uganda.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Prelude
As a proof, he pointed at the short notice he was given of the invasion, which made it impossible for him to prepare his underground network for an uprising. Museveni argued that Obote had deliberately overplayed the extent of his insider contacts to convince the Tanzanians of greenlighting the invasion. In general, there were reportedly strong tensions within the rebel alliance, as members of Obote's faction treated Museveni's group "as enemies". Following his capture during the invasion, rebel Alex Ojera also told his Ugandan interrogators that the insurgents had been affected by tribalism, as Bantu, Acholi, and Lango militants distrusted each other.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Prelude
Amin was informed that a rebel invasion was being organized, and prepared for this possibility by strengthening his southern defenses. The South African magazine Drum stated that the Kenyan intelligence agency was reportedly responsible for leaking the invasion plans, while researcher A. Kasozi argued that information had been leaked by Baganda civilians in southern Uganda who opposed Obote. Journalist Faustin Mugabe held Ugandan spies in Tanzania responsible for uncovering the rebel plans.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Initial rebel operations
From the beginning, the invasion was a "fiasco" and "disaster". Ugandan historian Samwiri Karugire described it as "One of those rare events in military history. A perfect failure." The DC-9 airplane never arrived at Entebbe. Obote had selected James Lalobo, a son of a friend to fly the aircraft despite him lacking exerience. Although the DC-9 was successfully stolen with support by the Tanzanian intelligence from the Dar es Salaam Airport, the pilot failed to retract its landing gear.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Initial rebel operations
In his attempt to temporarily stop at Kilimanjaro International Airport to pick up the commandos on 15 September, he landed at too high a speed, destroying the DC-9's tires. The raid on Entebbe had to be cancelled, while journalists got wind of the events at Kilimanjaro. A newspaper, the Uganda Argus, promptly ran an article titled "Pilot vanishes in DC-9 mystery", alerting Amin that a rebel operation was imminent. He put his southern commanders on alert, sending Simba Battalion commander Ali Fadhul to assess the situation at the border.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Initial rebel operations
Despite having lost the surprise element, the ground invasions continued. Having dubbed his force the "People's Army" or "people's army forces", Obote and the rebel factions under his leadership launched the invasion on 17 September. The entire rebel force was 1,340 to about 1,500 fighters strong. The main rebel group crossed the border at 5:30 a.m. after killing several border guards, and captured Mutukula. It was supposed to target Masaka, about 1,000 fighters strong, and led by Captain Anach or Lieutenant Colonel David Oyite-Ojok and Tito Okello. The main group initially made good progress, overwhelmining a few small groups of soldiers and capturing some military equipment. After being informed of the rebels crossing the Ugandan border, Gaddafi pledged support to his ally Amin, and ordered an intervention force to be sent to Uganda.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Initial rebel operations
The western rebel force, led by Captain Oyile, Lieutnant Okot, and Lieutnant Okumu, crossed the border at 7 a.m, behind schedule. Armed with a few sub-machine guns, recoilless rifles, and rockets, it consisted of about 300 to 350 guerrillas and included Museveni's small force of 40 militants. The western group was troubled by internal problems from the start. Whereas the Obote loyalists were wearing uniforms and expecting an easy victory, Museveni's group wore civilian clothing to fight as guerrillas. Several members of the western group expressed doubts about their outdated weaponry and their small numbers compared to the Uganda Army.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Initial rebel operations
Some militants in the group were even unarmed. The group also had problems with their trucks, slowing their progress. However, the group initially destroyed a Ugandan border post, killing four guards. After advancing 8.7 miles (14 km) into Uganda proper, the rebels encountered a Land Rover with eight soldiers who were killed in a firefight at Kaberebere. Despite this easy victory, some rebels were so inexperienced that they already broke during this clash and fled into the hills. The remainder continued their advance. They also ran into Fadhul, but they failed to recognize him in his civilian car.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Initial rebel operations
The commander sped past the insurgents and then informed Amin by telephone of the rebels' numbers and location. According to the Ugandan government, the rebels occupied Kyotera, Kakuto and Kalisizo. Tanzanian radio reports also claimed that Kisenyi and Umburra had been captured by rebels. A few civilians reacted to the western insurgent group by raising the flags of the Uganda People's Congress, Obote's party. However, contrary to Museveni's hopes, no grand rebellion erupted in the Mbarara area to support the invasion. Most civilians were still supportive of Amin at the time, especially due to his ongoing expulsion of the Ugandan Asians from the country.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Initial rebel operations
Meanwhile, the Ugandan government loyalists reacted by organizing their defenses. At 9 a.m. the Simba Battalion's second-in-command Yusuf Gowon raised the alarm at the Mbarara barracks, and ordered most of his troops to take up defensive positions. He also dispatched several jeeps to guard the road at the barracks. The western strike team of insurgents arrived at Mbarara at 10:30 a.m., where they destroyed a few roadblocks and an abandoned jeep before moving to assault the town's barracks. Without proper supplies, badly trained and lacking experienced leadership, the rebels failed to capture the Mbarara barracks.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Initial rebel operations
As soon as they approached the garrison, an army jeep opened fire with a recoilless rifle and destroyed a rebel truck. The entire insurgent advance promptly fell into disarray. Captain Oyile "disappeared", while several militants fled into the nearby woods. Museveni and thirty of his guerrillas advanced up to the barracks' gates, taking cover at an anthill and firing at the soldiers. Another group of rebels took position at a mosque and fired at the barracks with a mortar. Some rebels attempted to climb across a wire fence which surrounded the barracks, but were easily killed by Gowon's troops.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Initial rebel operations
After an hour of fighting, the rebels retreated. As the remaining rebels were left mostly leaderless, Museveni took command and led the survivors back to the Tanzanian border. They were pursued by Gowon's troops. Many more rebels were killed during the retreat than during the battle at Mbarara. Several insurgents attempted to hide with local civilians, including Oyile, Okot, and Okumu, only to be handed over to the Uganda Army.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Initial rebel operations
The eastern rebel force was stopped at Kiziba by a large Uganda Army contingent. The government forces included tanks and armoured personnel carriers. As the rebels lacked weaponry to overcome the government forces, and also ran out of ammunition, they quickly broke off the attack. About 169 rebels were killed in this clash. Having suffered heavy losses, they retreated under the cover of darkness.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Rebel retreat and border clashes
By early 18 September, the rebels were in full retreat. Only 46 insurgents belonging to the Mbarara strike force reportedly reached the Tanzanian border on that day. At least 100 insurgents of this group were killed and several others captured to be later executed. The casualties included important members of Museveni's faction such as Mwesigwa Black and Omongin Raila. Government loyalists fully retook Mbarara, Kalisizo and Kyotera, while Mutukula remained outside Uganda Army control. One group of about 500 rebels retreated into the marshes between Masaka and the Tanzanian border, where they dug in. Informants in Tanzania claimed that these insurgents were provided with fresh supplies, equipment, and some reinforcements from Tanzania.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Rebel retreat and border clashes
Amin blamed Nyerere for backing and arming his enemies, and claimed that 1,000 Tanzanian soldiers had been part of the invasion force. He retaliated by ordering his air force to bomb Tanzanian border towns. The Uganda Army Air Force targeted Mwanza and Bukoba from 18 to 20 September, claiming to have destroyed insurgent camps there. The TPDF moved its 4th battalion and a mortar company to safeguard the border. Amin also accused Israel, Britain, and India of supporting the attack, and the rebels of being in the pocket of the unpopular Ugandan Asians. A Uganda Army spokesman stated that three white Israeli mercenaries had been working with the insurgents and killed during the invasion, with foreign observers fearing that these "mercenaries" had actually been white civilians caught in the crossfire.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Rebel retreat and border clashes
On 19 September, President Amin declared "complete victory" over the insurgents, despite the latter still holding some areas. He publicly claimed that his troops had secured a copy of the rebels' battle plans, and falsely stated that the insurgents had intended to massacre certain tribes and professions. Enraged, groups of civilians banded together and began to hunt for rebel stragglers, lynching those whom they captured. Some civilians used the opportunity to settle grudges, trying to frame innocents as insurgent supporters. The official mopping-up operations and purges of pro-rebel elements were entrusted to Fadhul, Gowon, and Isaac Maliyamungu.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Rebel retreat and border clashes
Fadhul was entrusted with the countryside, Gowon was responsible for Mbarara, and Maliyamungu organized the purges in Masaka. The State Research Centre (SRC) played a major role in rounding up suspected anti-Amin elements. At Mbarara, an ad hoc court was set up presided over by Gowon; several suspected rebels were sentenced to death, although others were found innocent and freed.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Rebel retreat and border clashes
On 20 September, five Libyan Lockheed C-130 Hercules carrying 399 soldiers and military equpiment crossed into Sudanese airspace in an attempt to reach Uganda. They were forced by Sudanese jets to land in Khartoum, where the Sudanese authorities confiscated their weaponry and instructed them to return to Libya. The C-130 pilots assured the Sudanese that they would follow these instructions, but then continued their flight to Uganda, flying below the Sudanese radar. The Libyans landed in Entebbe on 21 September.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Invasion, Rebel retreat and border clashes
Despite them arriving too late to offer "meaningful assistance" in the fighting against the rebels, their presence boosted Amin's local image. Libya also sent some Palestine Liberation Organization commandos, and a MiG jet to assist Amin. On 24 September, the Ugandan government claimed that guerrillas were still controlling the towns of Mutukula and Kikagati. Amin claimed on 28 September that about 50 guerrillas remained on Ugandan soil, encircled by Uganda Army troops. By the next day, foreign journalists stated that the fighting had mostly ceased.


1972 invasion of Uganda, International reactions and mediation
The invasion and the Tanzanian support for the insurgents were internationally condemned, especially by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Nigeria, Guinea, Libya, and Egypt openly condemned the Tanzanian training and arming of Ugandan rebels. In response, Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) commander Major General Mrisho Sarakikya denied any Tanzanian involvement in the rebel operation. Nyerere also sent a telegram to OAU chairman Hassan II of Morocco protesting against the Ugandan airstrikes targeting Tanzanian towns. To avoid open war, the OAU requested third-party countries to mediate between Uganda and Tanzania.


1972 invasion of Uganda, International reactions and mediation
The OAU initially approached Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta, but he and his government refused to get involved in the dispute. Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Algerian President Houari Boumédiène and Guinean President Ahmed Sékou Touré offered to organize the mediation, while Egypt contacted Tanzanian Foreign Minister John Malecela to seek a peaceful solution. However, a five-point peace plan by Somali President Siad Barre was the most positively received proposal in Uganda as well as Tanzania, though Amin initially continued his aggressive rhetoric while Ugandan and Tanzanian representatives met in the Somali capital Mogadishu.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Aftermath
Though his commanders urged him to respond in kind to the Ugandan attacks at the border, Nyerere agreed to the mediation overseen by Siad Barre, which resulted in the signing of the Mogadishu Agreement, which stipulated that Ugandan and Tanzanian forces had to withdraw to positions at least 6.2 miles (10 km) away from the border and refrain from supporting opposition forces that targeted each other's governments. The Ugandan rebel camp at Handeni was closed, and the Obote loyalists were resettled to Tabora in central Tanzania where they were supposed to live as tobacco farmers from then on. The agreement was signed on 5 October 1972. Despite this, Amin and Nyerere remained deeply hostile.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Aftermath
Overall, the rebels were completely defeated and suffered heavy losses including hundreds killed. The Daily Monitor put the insurgent losses at 454 dead. The Uganda Army admitted that nine soldiers had been killed. According to the Ugandan government, about 150 Ugandan civilians had died during the invasion. Between nine and 20 Tanzanian civilians were killed during the Ugandan airstrikes.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Aftermath
After the invasion Amin posed with several captured rebels on television. Several alleged guerrillas were later secretly or publicly executed including Captain Oyile, former Information Minister Alex Ojera, Picho Ali, and former Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Joshua Wakholi. Amin also used the invasion as an opportunity to kill political opponents, regardless of whether they had supported the rebel attack or not. Hundreds of people belonging to the country's civilian elite were arrested and killed across the country. These purges were led by the Military Police, SRC, and Public Safety Unit.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Aftermath
Benedicto Kiwanuka (whom Amin had freed in 1971 and appointed Chief Justice of Uganda) was among those murdered in the rebel attack's aftermath. There were numerous executions of suspected Uganda People's Congress supporters in the Masaka and Mbarara areas, and many imprisoned opposition figures were also killed. Many Ugandans were shocked at the mass killings following the invasion, as they had still considered Amin to be the "reformer and messiah" as whom he had previously presented himself.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Aftermath
Amin also ordered an acceleration of the expulsion of Asians from Uganda in response to the invasion, and purged the police as well as the Uganda Army of suspected disloyal elements. Several ethnic Baganda officers were forcibly disappeared, while the President was publicly "lashing out" against Acholi and Langi soldiers, ordering them to "stop their dirty activities". The 1972 invasion is regarded in Uganda as the turning point at which Amin's regime became much more violent than before, becoming more paranoid and more willing to outright murder civilians.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Aftermath
Even though the purges were an attempt to stabilize the Ugandan government so that it became less vulnerable to external attacks, the killings damaged its reputation and popularity. As a result, Amin came to rely even more on terror to stay in power. Researcher Alicia Decker concluded that the terror ultimately "devoured his regime from within". Amin's popularity also suffered when the expulsion of Ugandan Asians proved to cause severe long-term problems, greatly harming the country's economy and international reputation. About twenty thousand Ugandans fled the country, resettling in Tanzania.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Aftermath
Insurgent activity against Amin continued, and Nyerere informed the Ugandan rebels that anti-Amin activities would be tolerated in Tanzania despite the Mogadishu Agreement. The Tanzanian President asked the insurgents to stay mostly cladestine and not inform him of their operations. Tanzania also continued to treat Obote like a head of state. However, the failed invasion caused great disagreements among the anti-Amin opposition, as rebel leaders blamed each other for the defeat. Obote never forgave Museveni for the fact that the popular uprising at Mbarara had not occurred as he had allegedly promised.


1972 invasion of Uganda, Aftermath
In early 1973, Museveni officially announced the formation of the "Front for National Salvation" (FRONASA), while Obote reorganized and rebuilt his guerrilla force. FRONASA, Obote's rebels, and other militant factions took part in the Uganda–Tanzania War of 1978–79 which resulted in Amin's overthrow. Obote subsequently returned to power in the disputed 1980 Ugandan general elections, causing several opposition groups to take up arms. In the course of the Ugandan Bush War, Museveni's National Resistance Movement emerged victorious and he became Ugandan President in 1986.


1972 unrest in Lithuania
1972 unrest in Lithuanian SSR, sometimes titled as Kaunas' Spring, took place on May 18–19, 1972, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Soviet Union. It was sparked by the self-immolation of a 19-year-old student named Romas Kalanta in protest against the Soviet regime and the subsequent ban authorities imposed on members of the public attending Kalanta's funeral. As a result, thousands of young demonstrators gathered in the central street of Kaunas, Laisvės Alėja in anti-government protests that started on May 18 and were suppressed by Soviet troops on May 19 .


1972 unrest in Lithuania, The wave of protests
On May 14, 1972, a 19-year-old high school student named Romas Kalanta poured three liters of gasoline on himself and set himself on fire in the square adjoining Laisvės Alėja in front of the Kaunas Musical Theatre where, in 1940, the People's Seimas had declared the establishment of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. Before his suicide, Kalanta left a notebook with a brief note that read "blame only the regime for my death". It was only in 1990, when Lithuania declared its independence, that the contents of this note became publicly known.


1972 unrest in Lithuania, The wave of protests
Kalanta died fourteen hours later in hospital. On May 18, the Soviet authorities brought Kalanta's burial forward by two hours to prevent publicity. However, it provoked even bigger outrage among the gathered people, mostly high school students and young workers and developed into a politically charged riot, which was forcibly dispersed by KGB, militsiya, and Internal Troops. A spontaneous rally resulted in the disruption of traffic in the city centre, as well as four shop windows being smashed, five Militsiya officers injured and one Militsiya motorcycle burnt.


1972 unrest in Lithuania, The wave of protests
The next day, about 3,000 people marched along Laisvės Alėja, of which 402 were arrested. The New York Times reported numerous injuries and one death among Soviet troops.


1972 unrest in Lithuania, The wave of protests
Of the arrested, over half were under 20 years old and about a quarter belonged to the youth branch of the Communist Party. In an effort to distract from the political nature of the protests, the arrested people were charged with hooliganism. 50 people faced civil charges, while ten faced criminal prosecution. Eventually, eight people were sentenced to between one and two years in prison. Demonstrations spread to other cities in the Lithuanian SSR as well, and altogether 108 people were arrested.


1972 unrest in Lithuania, The wave of protests
These mass demonstrations were on a scale that had not been seen since 1956 and were ultimately suppressed by squads of KGB, Militsiya and Internal Troops.


1972 unrest in Lithuania, Aftermath
Public agitation continued throughout 1972 and 1973 as the KGB registered 3–4 times more various anti-Soviet incidents. Lithuania recorded 13 other suicides by fire in 1972, including 24-year-old V. Stonys in Varėna on May 29, 60-year-old A. Andriuškevičius in Kaunas on June 3, 62-year-old Zališauskas on June 10, and 40-year-old Juozapas Baracevičius in Šiauliai on June 22.


1972 unrest in Lithuania, Aftermath
The crackdown on demonstrations was followed by increased censorship, and youth organisations and gatherings came under more thorough surveillance. Lithuanian SSR officials blamed "so-called followers of the hippie movement" for organising the riots.


1972 unrest in Lithuania, Aftermath
There were some rallies by the Lithuanian diaspora in other countries, such as the United States, in support of the demonstrations. The political émigré Vytautas Alantas published a book dedicated to the events under the title Romas Kalanta: The Living Torches in the Nemunas Valley.


1972 unrest in Lithuania, Commemoration of events
The day when Romas Kalanta died and the subsequent demonstrations are called "kalantinės" and is observed annually in Kaunas. There is a monument for Romas Kalanta at the place where he self-immolated.


1972 unrest in Lithuania, In the popular culture
A 1990 Lithuanian drama film The Children from the Hotel America depicts some scenes from the Kaunas' demonstrations. A 2017 Lithuanian drama film Emilija contains a self-immolation scene, the course of events in the city centre and the subsequent crackdown by the militsia.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China
U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC) was an important strategic and diplomatic overture that marked the culmination of the Nixon administration's resumption of harmonious relations between the United States and mainland China after years of diplomatic isolation. The seven-day official visit to three Chinese cities was the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC; Nixon's arrival in Beijing ended 25 years of no communication or diplomatic ties between the two countries and was the key step in normalizing relations between the U.S. and the PRC. Nixon visited the PRC to gain more leverage over relations with the Soviet Union. The normalization of ties culminated in 1979, when the U.S. established full diplomatic relations with the PRC.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China
When the Communist Party of China gained power over mainland China in 1949 and the Kuomintang fled to the island of Taiwan, the United States allied with, and recognized, the Republic of China as the sole government of China. Before his election as president in 1968, former Vice President Richard Nixon hinted at establishing a new relationship with the PRC. Early in his first term, Nixon, through his National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger, sent subtle overtures hinting at warmer relations to the PRC government. After a series of these overtures by both countries, Kissinger flew on secret diplomatic missions to Beijing in 1971, where he met with Premier Zhou Enlai. On July 15, 1971, the President shocked the world by announcing on live television that he would visit the PRC the following year.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China
The week-long visit, from February 21 to 28, 1972, allowed the American public to view images of China for the first time in over two decades. Throughout the week the President and his senior advisers engaged in substantive discussions with the PRC leadership, including a meeting with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Mao Zedong, while First Lady Pat Nixon toured schools, factories and hospitals in the cities of Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai with the large American press corps in tow.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China
Nixon dubbed his visit "the week that changed the world", a descriptor that continues to echo in the political lexicon. Repercussions of the Nixon visit continue to this day; while near-immediate results included a significant shift in the Cold War balance—driving a wedge between the Soviet Union and China, resulting in significant Soviet concessions to the U.S.—the trip spawned China's opening to the world and economic parity with capitalist countries.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Visit, Historical background
Improved relations with the Soviet Union and the PRC are often cited as the most successful diplomatic achievements of Nixon's presidency. After World War II, Americans saw relations between the United States and the Soviet Union deteriorating, the Soviets consolidating communist allies over much of Eastern Europe, and the potential victory of Communist forces in the Chinese Civil War. The American ruling class was concerned that communists might dominate schools or labor unions.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Visit, Historical background
In China, from the beginning of the Sino-Soviet split in 1956, there was a perceived necessity for external allies to counterbalance the power of the Soviet Union. While the split was originally motivated, in part, by Mao's view of the Soviets as too accommodating toward the US, eventually he came to view the Soviet Union as a greater threat to China's position.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Visit, Historical background
The reason for opening up China was for the U.S. to gain more leverage over relations with the Soviet Union. Resolving the Vietnam War was a particularly important factor. National Security Council staffer (and later U.S. Ambassador to China) Winston Lord noted:


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Visit, Historical background
First, an opening to China would give us more flexibility on the world scene generally. We wouldn't just be dealing with Moscow. We could deal with Eastern Europe, of course, and we could deal with China because the former Communist Bloc was no longer a bloc. Kissinger wanted more flexibility, generally. Secondly, by opening relations with China we would catch Russia's attention and get more leverage on them through playing this obvious, China card.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Visit, Historical background
The idea would be to improve relations with Moscow, hoping to stir a little bit of its paranoia by dealing with China, never getting so engaged with China that we would turn Russia into a hostile enemy but enough to get the attention of the Russians. This effort worked dramatically after Kissinger's secret trip to China. Thirdly, Kissinger and Nixon wanted to get help in resolving the Vietnam War. By dealing with Russia and with China we hoped to put pressure on Hanoi to negotiate seriously.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Visit, Historical background
At a maximum, we tried to get Russia and China to slow down the provision of aid to North Vietnam somewhat. More realistically and at a minimum, we sought to persuade Russia and China to encourage Hanoi to make a deal with the United States and give Hanoi a sense of isolation because their two, big patrons were dealing with us.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Visit, Historical background
Indeed, by their willingness to engage in summit meetings with us, with Nixon going to China in February 1972, and to Moscow in May 1972, the Russians and Chinese were beginning to place a higher priority on their bilateral relations with us than on their dealings with their friends in Hanoi.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Visit, Historical background
One of the main reasons Richard Nixon became the 1952 vice-presidential candidate on the Dwight Eisenhower ticket was his strong anti-communist stance. Despite this, in 1972 Nixon became the first U.S. president to visit mainland China while in office. Ulysses S. Grant visited China on a world tour after leaving office. Herbert Hoover lived in China briefly in 1899 before becoming president. Eisenhower made a state visit to Taiwan in 1960, during the period when the United States recognized the Republic of China government in Taipei as the sole government of China.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Visit, Readiness
In July 1971, President Nixon's National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger secretly visited Beijing during a trip to Pakistan, and laid the groundwork for Nixon's visit to China. This meeting was arranged and facilitated by Pakistan through its strong diplomatic channels with China. Transcripts of White House meetings and once confidential documents show Nixon began working to open a channel of communication with Beijing from his first day in the White House. For this ambitious goal to be reached President Nixon had carried out a series of carefully calibrated moves through Communist China's allies Romania and Pakistan.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Travel to China
President Nixon, his wife, and their entourage left the White House on February 17, 1972, spending a night in Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station, Oahu, Hawaii. They arrived the next day in Guam at 5 pm, where they spent the night at Nimitz Hill, the residence of the Commander, Naval Forces, Marianas. The next morning, February 21, at 7 am the Nixons left Guam for Shanghai. After 4 hours in the air, the Nixons arrived in Shanghai. From Shanghai, the Nixons traveled to Beijing.


1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China, Travel to China, Meeting with Mao
From February 21 to 28, 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon traveled to Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. Almost as soon as the American president arrived in the Chinese capital, CCP Chairman Mao Zedong summoned him for a quick meeting. Secretary of State William P. Rogers was excluded from this meeting and the only other American present besides Kissinger was Kissinger's assistant Winston Lord. To avoid embarrassing Rogers, Lord was cropped out of all the official photographs of the meeting.