Why did Nixon order US forces to bomb North Vietnam in 1972?

In 1972, Nixon ordered heavy bombing of North Vietnam during the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive, partly to pressure its leaders and strengthen the U.S. position in peace negotiations. The bombing was not retaliation for the My Lai Massacre, which happened in 1968, and the Tet Offensive had ended years earlier. The best choice is “to intimidate its leaders.”

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