Why was there opposition to the Vietnam War?

Lesson objectives To be able to explain the reasons why people opposed the Vietnam War. To explore sources that help explain why people opposed the Vietnam War. To prioritise the reasons why people opposed the Vietnam War.

Who opposed the Vietnam War? Politicians against any involvement in Vietnam because of the corrupt regime in South Vietnam. Returning US troops who had witnessed the horrors of the war. Black Americans who felt that attaining civil rights was more important than fighting a war. Women from all backgrounds – the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom was one of the first groups to protest. Young people – particularly university students.

Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War The Civil Rights Movement campaigned for equal rights for Black Americans put its full weight behind anti-Vietnam protests. The Civil Rights Movement methods of campaigning were copied by anti- Vietnam protesters. Civil Rights Movements members, such as Muhammed Ali and Martin Luther King were vociferous opponents of the Vietnam War. The Civil Rights Movement saw the US government’s draft policy as racist as it favoured white middle class men.

The student movement and the Vietnam War Many young people saw the older generation as being out of touch with the issues of the day, such as civil rights and the Vietnam War. Students began to protest more frequently during the 1960s against the US government. Protest singers, such as Bob Dylan and Country Joe and the Fish, became very popular and hugely influential.

The ‘Great Society’ and the Vietnam War The ‘Great Society’ was a series of reforms designed to reduce unemployment and improve health care and education. It was a key reason why Johnson was elected as President in However, these reforms were extremely expensive and Johnson was left with a stark choice – the Great Society or the Vietnam War. America could not afford both. Many felt the Vietnam War undermined Johnson’s presidency.

Why did opposition increase during the Vietnam War? Political opposition – the Pentagon Papers. Increasing negative media coverage Growing US casualties The Tet Offensive US methods of warfare Operation Phoenix

Political opposition to the Vietnam War Political opposition to US involvement in Vietnam had been evident before the War. Some people questioned the US Government’s official line of trying to stop the spread of Communism and the Domino Theory. Some US politicians saw Diem as a corrupt, unpopular dictator.

The Pentagon Papers The Pentagon is US Armed Forces HQ and an employee, Daniel Ellsberg was asked in 1967 to collect all the documents relating to US involvement in Vietnam since the 1940s. This with Ellsberg’s analysis on these totalled 7,000 pages and were called the Pentagon Papers. These papers revealed the US had lied, covered up and failed to understand the Vietnam issue.

The Pentagon Papers Ellsberg – an opponent of the war leaked the papers to the New York Times who published them in A furious Nixon tried to get Ellsberg prosecuted – but failed. The Pentagon Papers fuelled the protests against Vietnam and severely embarrassed the US Government.

The Vietnam War and the media The Vietnam War became known as ‘The Television War’ Media coverage of the Vietnam War provided many of the stark and brutal images that people associate with the war. Such images helped increase the opposition to the Vietnam War.

Growing US casualties Opposition to the Vietnam War grew with the increasing US casualties. In 1965, there were less than 2,000 US casualties but by 1968, this had increased by 14,000 and after this the rate of US casualties doubled. In 1967, former Vietnam soldiers formed a protest group called the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, stating that the war was not worth the casualties.

The Tet Offensive The Tet Offensive in 1968, shocked America and deeply damaged its confidence in fighting the Vietnam War. The events at Khe Sahn, US embassy in Saigon and Hue badly hit US support for the war.

US methods of warfare The methods of warfare the US deployed in Vietnam brought much opposition. Chemical warfare angered environmentalists. Bombings were seen to do as much harm to civilians and were seen as brutal. Many were appalled by the ‘Search and Destroy’ missions. The massacre at My Lai caused a public storm who felt that the US Government had little regard for human life.

What was Operation Phoenix? In 1968, the CIA created Operation Phoenix which aimed to arrest and identify at least VC suspects a month. Suspects were to be arrested and interrogated to reveal names of other VC. In all 28,000 people were arrested, another 20,000 were assassinated and a further 17,000 defected. However, a number of civilians were caught up in these arrests.

Why was Operation Phoenix controversial? Although Operation Phoenix was successful in severely damaging the VC in the South, extremely brutal methods were used. Indeed, many were arrested had nothing to do with the VC but were taken in to make up the 3,000 quota per month.