Between Frustration and Success: The Canadian Military Experience on the International Commission of Control and Supervision in Vietnam, 1973

From January to July 1973, Canada participated in the International Commission of Control and Supervision on ending the U.S. war in Vietnam. The ICCS investigated accusations of violations and supervised prisoner of war exchanges. Although fraught with complexity, contradiction, and lack of cooperation, and based on blurred mandates, the ICCS was a partial success because of the help provided to the American ally. The analysis suggests Canadians remained committed to the international commission despite major political and ideological struggles. The Canadian military thus learned important lessons on Cold War peacekeeping missions in decolonized spaces, on cooperation with U.S. forces, and about international peace mandates.