Objectives: a) Identify the role the anti – war protests played during the Vietnam Era – S1.C9.PO4 b) Predict the outcome of the Vietnam Peace Accords – S1.C9.PO4 c) Describe how the conflict in Vietnam was resolved – S2.C8.PO12

Nixon and Vietnam Objectives: a)Identify the role the anti – war protests played during the Vietnam Era – S1.C9.PO4 b)Predict the outcome of the Vietnam Peace Accords – S1.C9.PO4 c)Describe how the conflict in Vietnam was resolved – S2.C8.PO12

President Nixon changed the strategy of the conflict that included intense bombing and Vietnamization.

Military Draft: 1963 – 1968 Males ages 18 – 29 Deferments: can be excused from the draft based on: –Attending College –Moral or religious beliefs prevented them from fighting Many soldiers were in the poor/lower class Deferments discriminated against the poor

“In 1964 African Americans represented approximately 13 percent of the U.S. population but less than 9 percent of the nation's men in arms.” Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History. Ed. Spencer C. Tucker. Oxford, UK: ABC-CLIO, Copyright © 1998 by Spencer C. Tucker.

*Protesters of the draft started burning their draft cards. Congress made it a federal crime to burn your draft card.

Nixon wanted to pull American forces out of Vietnam, but he did not want it to be a sign of defeat.

Nixon’s Strategy:  Change the selective service (draft)  Withdraw troops from Vietnam (Vietnamization)  Expand bombing in North Vietnam

Military Draft: 1969 – 1975 Males age: 19 only College students can be drafted Chosen by lottery on the basis of their birthday People stopped protesting the draft

PRESIDENT NIXON STARTED WITHDRAWING AMERICAN TROOP IN JUNE > Problem with Vietnamization: S.V. troops would have to fight

Instead, Nixon chose to: Start sending American troops into Cambodia…i.e. invasion –Cambodia was in a civil war too over Communism vs. Democracy –29 April – 22 July 1970 –Goal: The capture of large amounts of communist supplies and material

The invasion sparked many more anti – war protests on college campuses. Kent State University (Ohio)  students burned a military building on campus  May 4, The governor declared martial law and ordered 3,000 National Guard troops to the university. -The troops opened fire  killing  4 students and wounding 9

Kent State

Time Magazine

Violence started again on May 14/15, 1970 at the all African – American college Jackson State. (Mississippi) –The police opened fire, killing two students and injuring twelve. After these two school shootings, hundreds of colleges and universities suspended classes or closed down the schools.

Nixon Talks Peace North Vietnamese would not listen. After his reelection in 1972, Nixon unleashed American airpower against the N. Vietnamese. Within a month, the North was ready to talk peace.

Vietnam Peace Accords  On Jan. 27, 1973, the USA and North Vietnam came to an agreement:  USA pulls all troops from S. Vietnam  N. Vietnam would return all POWs  The agreement was not ratified/approved by the United States Senate

Essential Questions a)What was the major outcome of the Vietnam Peace Accords? b)What do you think will happen to South Vietnam the moment USA troops leave?

What do you think will happen to South Vietnam the moment USA troops leave? When the USA troops left Vietnam, the North invaded the South. On April 30, 1975, Saigon fell to Communism. –Vietnam is now unified.

Soldiers Returning Home from Vietnam YWYC5Uhttps:// YWYC5U 7xW8Uhttps:// 7xW8U c4IHnYhttps:// c4IHnY

Legacy of the War  58,000 dead; 300,000 wounded  Cost of war  $150 billion  Construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. provided a step toward healing the country’s wounds.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Rlrmo&feature=relatedhttp:// Rlrmo&feature=related Why do you think this memorial has such an impact on those who see it?