1968:The key events of 1968… –The Pueblo Incident –The Tet Offensive –The assassination of MLK –The assassination of RFK –The 1968 Democratic Convention –The 1968 Presidential election The greatest number of troops in Vietnam was in : 536,000 troops / 31,000 Dead Vietnam was the major issue in the 1968 Presidential election...Stay the course or withdraw?

Doves & Hawks An analogy... Hawks are predators which attack & feed upon other animals, whereas doves mostly eat seeds & fruit. A Dove is someone favoring peace. A Hawk is someone favoring war.

The Pueblo Incident January 23, 1968 The Pueblo was conducting gathering electronic intelligence off the coast of North Korea... The ship is captured by NK NK holds 83 prisoners for 11 months The Pueblo crew… As POWs: Starved, tortured & beaten The crew used sign language signals in propaganda photos The crew is released in Dec, 1968 The Pueblo is still held by NK

The Tet Offensive Jan,1968 A major offensive by Vietnamese Communists in SV. - 60,000 NV/ VC attack 80 cities or military bases were simultaneously attacked during the Tet Offensive.

Results of the Tet Offensive 1,600 U.S. KIA - 8,000 U.S.WIA 40,000 NV / VC dead 1M civilian refugees 200,000 civilians dead Militarily failure for the NV/ VC The significance of Tet in the U.S… Tet contradicted that the U.S. was winning the war The public turns against the war Protests dramatically increase LBJ announces he will not seek 2 nd term A major political & psychological victory for the NV/ VC

The Assassination of MLK MLK faces death threats & FBI harassment MLK assassinated April 4, cities erupt in violence/ 27,000 African Americans jailed U.S. Army sets–up defenses in Washington D.C.

James Earl Ray assassinates Dr. King... JER Conspiracy? No history of violent crime The rifle only had 2 fingerprints Never expressed racial opinions No fingerprints in the room

The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy June 5, 1968 Emerging front runner in Democratic Primary Shot in Los Angeles, CA Assassin: Sirhan Sirhan A misinformed & confused individual...The motive for killing RFK was not rational

The Democratic National Convention August 21-26, 1968 Three possible Democratic candidates prior to RFK assassination… Robert F. Kennedy - Anti-War Eugene McCarthy - Anti War Hubert Humphrey – LBJs VP & supports efforts in Vietnam

Prior to the convention… Humphrey never enters a primary & uses the “party machine” to get enough delegates to win the nomination. The will of the people was being ignored & mass protest was planned for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago...

The Democratic Convention in Chicago… Mass protests are held outside the venue Major Daly fears that delegates will be intimidated into voting for McCarthy & orders the police to intervene Daly uses the police to trigger riots… Arrests, beatings & tear gas National & world wide TV coverage Protestors chant: “The whole world is watching”

Inside the convention… Debate rages over Vietnam policy… McCarthy peace initiative fails Humphrey praises Major Daly for the convention & LBJ for Vietnam The tear gas haze…

Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey - Democrat Sought a continuation of the Great Society Supported LBJ’s Vietnam policy Heckled by anti- war protestors 1968 Presidential Election George Wallace Gov. of AL - American Independent Party “Segregation now! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!” GW: Blacks- NO voting, NO juries, NO public office Bomb Vietnam “back to the Stone Age” Main goal was to disrupt the election

Richard M. Nixon Republican “Peace with honor”… End the war An end to the "crisis of the cities“…. "law and order”… Strengthen national defense Reduce of taxes… Rollback the Great Society

Results of the 1968 Election Party/ Elector/ Pop Vote% Nixon:Rep… 301… 43.4% Humphrey: Dem… 191… 42.7% Wallace: Am. Ind. 46… 13.5%

Richard Milhous Nixon 37 th President Republican Nixon’s Inauguration January 20, 1969