1968 & the Vietnam Legacy Chapter 30 Sections 4 & 5

I The Tet Offensive January 30 th in Vietnam marks beginning of Lunar new year festivities known as Tet = to our New Years Agreed on truce for festivities  ppl pouring into cities Tet Offensive= Vietcong launch surprise attack on over 100 cities in S Vietnam Was military failure but frightened Amer. Pop who believed war was almost over  openly criticized war LBJ- “If iv’e lost Walter (Cronkite), then its over. I’ve lost Mr. Average Citizen”

II Democratic Party Fractures Group within Dem sought to unseat LBJ as pres. In next election Robert Kennedy refuses but McCarthy accepts  Pres primary gains speed after Tet LBJ wins by only 6% in NH  Kennedy announcing his candidacy LBJ speech – announces US in peace negotiations & will not seek re- election RFK wins crucial Cali primary race  shot by Palestinian immigrant who was angered by his support of Israel All while campus protests kept raging says-he-wont-runwww.history.com/videos/johnson-says-he-wont-run#johnson- says-he-wont-run

III Turbulent Race for President LBJ resigned & RFK dead left McCarthy v Humphrey for Dem. Pres nominee SDS protester arrive at Dem. National convention to force anti-war platform Yippies ( Youth International Party) came to provoke violence & discredit Dem. Party Dem convention  massive riot  disorder and violence of Dem convention sticks in ppls minds Nixon runs on restoring LAW & ORDER Wallace (Ind.) wins 5 southern states Nixon Wins (43% pop vote but over 100 electoral)

IV President Nixon & Vietnamization Nixon comes to office w/ peace talks going nowhere & institutes Vietnamization strategy Gradual withdrawal of US troops so that the S Vietnamese take more combat role “Peace with Honor” = maintaining US dignity while withdrawing troops & preserve US power at negotiation table Nixon order secret bombing campaign of N and neighboring Laos & Cambodia Wanted enemy to believe he was capable of anything

V Trouble Continues at Home Nixon appeals to “silent majority’ to pass his policies  further divided country Moderate mainstream Americans My Lai Massacre shocked the nation Nixon announces US troops invade Cambodia  college campuses erupt in protest Kent State protest  Nat’l Guard fires into crowd and kills students

Nixon looses support of Congress Bombing & invading of Cambodia  Congress repeals Tonkin Gulf Resolution Pentagon Papers= doc. Written for Sec. of Def. that revealed the gov’t was making plans to enter Vietnam even as LBJ was promising not to send troops Also no plan to end war If N Vietnamese continued their campaign Pentagon paper  ppl viewing the gov’t not being honest Vietnam War ends after short lived peace broken and another bombing raid

VI Veterans return Home Vietnam vets did not get welcomed back with parade but with hostility Ppl still bitter and divided on the war Delayed stress syndrome – recurring nightmares, headaches, memory lapses, drug & alcohol abuse, etc. Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC

VII Khmer Rouge & Vietnam’s effect of America US invasion of Cambodia  Civil war  Khmer Rouge Communist group who committed genocide in Cambodia in order t transform country into a communist peasant led society War Powers act (1973) pres. Must inform Congress within 48 hrs. if US forces are sent into hostile area w/o declaration of war Can stay up to 90 days unless congress approves actions or declares war Vietnam Syndrome- Americans weigh poss risks before intervening in other countries Cynicism of political leaders