American History II - Unit 7 Ms. Brown Vietnam & the 1970s American History II - Unit 7 Ms. Brown

Review What was the domino theory? Road to War video What was the domino theory? the idea that if one country falls to communism, the surrounding countries will fall too Reflected the policy of containment and used as justification for intervention in Vietnam Who were the Vietcong and what fighting styles did they use? Rebels in South Vietnam supported by North Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh Used guerilla tactics – ambush, hit and run, booby traps, etc What did the Tonkin Resolution allow Johnson to do? Granted Johnson military powers in Vietnam without an official declaration of war

7.2 – Vietnam at Home

Early War at Home More troops and money in Vietnam  economy and Great Society programs suffering At first, Americans supported the war, however TV changed public opinions Johnson told Americans the war was going well BUT TV told a different story with horrific and brutal scenes on the nightly news Created a credibility gap - a lack of popular confidence in the truth of the claims or public statements made by the federal government

A “Manipulatable” Draft Most soldiers were called to combat under the Selective Service System, or draft – system for requiring citizens to serve in the military Established during WWI, males 18-26 Thousands of men found ways around the draft… Medical exemptions from sympathetic doctors Changed residences to go before a more lenient board Joined National Guard or Coast Guard – deferment from draft Enroll in university for a college deferment

African Americans in Vietnam Draft dodgers were from affluent families  “working class war,” disproportionate number of blacks and people of low socioeconomic levels drafted MLK refrained from speaking out on Vietnam, believing it would draw attention away from the movement, until 1967 when fighting in Vietnam increased High racial tensions and violence in platoons  decreased morale

Women in Vietnam No combat positions, but 10,000 women served as military nurses (full rank and benefits) Thousands volunteered for the American Red Cross and United Services Organization to provide hospitality and entertainment to troops

The New Left By the late 1960s, many college students were already politically and socially active  growing movement known as the New Left Youth protest movement during the Vietnam War Demanded changes in American society and withdrawal from Vietnam College campuses = hotbeds of activism and protest Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) – Most prominent protest group of the New Left Claimed corporations and large gov’t institutions had taken over America Called for a restoration of “participatory democracy” and greater individual freedom Free Speech Movement – New Left group at UC Berkeley Grew out of a dispute between students and administration concerning free speech on campus

Emerging Protest Movement By the mid 1960s, Americans provided many reasons to oppose the Vietnam War US shouldn’t be involved in another country’s civil war The South Vietnamese gov’t was just as corrupt and oppressive as Ho Chi Minh’s North Vietnamese gov’t US should focus on more pressing international issues (USSR and Cold War) High cost (lives and money) with low gains The war was morally unjust Protest moved beyond college campus as celebrities and musicians spoke out against the war as well.

Emerging Protest Movement By 1967, protest marches and rallies against the draft and the war occurred in most large cities Early 1970s - Nixon phased out the draft, but not before… 200,000 men were charged with draft resistance 4,000 draft resisters were jailed 10,000 Americans fled the country Oct 1967 – March on the Pentagon Anti-war demonstration at the Lincoln Memorial with 67,000 protesters 30,000 demonstrators marched on the Pentagon and broke past military police Met with tear gas and clubs, 1,500 arrested and 700 injured

Doves vs Hawks Doves Opposed US involvement in Vietnam Hawks US should unleash military strength on Vietnam While feelings about US involvement in Vietnam were mixed, 70% of Americans believed that protests were “acts of disloyalty”

Vietnam Tests Johnson Johnson attacked by doves and hawks but was dismissive of both groups’ arguments  continued slow escalation By the end of 1967, Johnson’s policy created turmoil in his administration  Sec. of Defense McNamara resigned, replaced by Clark Clifford “It didn’t add up…What I was trying to find out was how the war went on year after year when we stopped the infiltration or shrunk it and when we had a very high body count and so on. It just didn’t make sense.” Prelude to the tumultuous year of 1968…

Vietnam Protest Music Masters of War – Bob Dylan Saigon Bride – Joan Baez Note: Saigon was the capital of South Vietnam. Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival Note: Children of politicians were exempt from the draft War (What Is It Good For) – Edwin Starr Imagine – John Lennon

Choose a song… Song title and artist What issues are being addressed (look for key terms, ideas, etc)? Who is artist’s target audience? What was the artist want the audience to do after listening to the song? Is the song’s message still relevant today? Explain.