red America's higher-education system. The so-called Kent State tragedy started a nation-wide campus disaster. Between May 4 and May 8, campuses experienced an average of 100 demonstrations a day, 350 campus strikes, 536 colleges shut down, and 73 colleges reported significant violence in their protests. On that weekend, 100,000 people gathered to protest in Washington. By May 12, over 150 colleges were on strike. As the Nixon administration tried to piece together in the weeks after the crisis, a dramatic decline in anti-war demonstrations occurred once the colleges closed. While things at home were just starting to get better, Nixon began to plan a new and even more vigorous offensive against the North Vietnamese. From January 30 till April 6, 1971, with American aid, 17,000 South Vietnamese soldiers attacked 22,000 North Vietnamese soldiers in Laos. By the end of the battle, South Vietnamese troops were down to 8000, they suffered from 7682 casualties. The North Vietnamese pursued the South Vietnamese back across the border. Their losses amounted to 20,000, their high casualty number resulted from American bombardments. However by the end of the offensive, they had 40,000 troops left due to massive reinforcements. Although the North Vietnamese won the offensive, Nixon declared after the battle; Vietnamization has succeeded. Nixon was concerned about the coming elections. He was afraid that he wouldnt be re-elected now that there had been so many demonstrations against his actions. To get the public back on his side on January 25 1972, Nixon proposed an eight point peace plan for Vietnam, he also announced that Henry Kissinger had had a secret meeting in Paris with the North Vietnamese. But added that Hanoi still rejected Nixons overture. The Eatstertide offensiveFrom March till September 1972, North Vietnamese attempt one last successful offensive to attack and conquer South Vietnam, known as the Eastertide offensive. The North Viet...
