US and Vietnam: 1968

Mid 1960s Review Civil rights strife: assassination of Malcolm X; SNCC, Black Panthers LBJ's first election, 1964 LBJ’s Great Society programs: “War on Poverty:” Medicare, Medicaid LBJ's policy of escalation in Vietnam, 1965-1968 American justification for intervention: "Aggression from the North"

1967 “Vietnam Summer” 1967: "Vietnam Summer" US involvement reached 550,000-troop presence Generational split Elder generation supported use of force to prevent the spread of communist threat Younger generation believed "threat" to be of too little consequence to justify their participation in war. 41% of pop was under 20.

1967 Student Protests Martin Luther King, Jr.: billions spent in Vietnam could be better spent combating domestic poverty US society wrenched by racial tension and movement for racial equality Marijuana and hallucinogenic drugs accepted by "counter culture," especially in SF Bay Area Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) focused in UC Berkeley: speeches, demonstrations, folk music, “teach-ins” October 1967: protestors raised Vietcong flag on Pentagon flagstaff, burned draft cards

Vietnam Troop Levels Source: Congressional Quarterlies 1960 900 1961 3,200 1962 11,300 1963 16,300 1964 23,300 1965 184,300 1966 385,300 1967 485,600 1968 536,100 1969 475,200 1970 334,600 1971 156,800 1972 24,200

Into the 1968 Election Eugene McCarthy, Democrat from Minnesota: immediate withdrawal from Vietnam New Hampshire primary: McCarthy received 42%; Johnson 49% Bobby Kennedy entered Democratic race four days later Tet Offensive: January-September General Westmoreland's Appraisal of the 1968 Tet Offensive further escalation of troop commitment needed to "win" the war invasions of Cambodia and Laos were necessary invasion of North Vietnam necessary cost should increase from 17b to 27b yearly taxes would have to be raised

Assassinations MLK Bobby Kennedy April 4, 1968 in Memphis Race riots erupted across US Johnson declared April 9 national day of mourning 2 months later, James Earl Ray captured in UK, confessed, but later retracted confession Bobby Kennedy June 4, 1968 in L.A. Had been leading Demo-cratic primary race Hubert Humphrey won primary, and lost to Nixon

1968 Democratic Convention After appraisal of the Tet Offensive, Johnson announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential campaign Cessation of bombing north of 19th parallel hope for immediate peace talks with Ho Chi-minh Chicago Democratic Convention Democratic incumbent withdrawn Pro-McCarthy Student demonstrations and police clash televised Failure to convince moderate Democrats Republican challenger: Richard M. Nixon, Republican from California Campaigned against Kennedy in 1960 "End the War and Win the Peace"

1968 Election Illustrated… Public perceived US policy in Vietnam as a failure Public opinion changed policy in Vietnam Huge generational gap in opinion about government and war Public’s perception of the Cold War had changed Heightened responsiveness of president to American popular opinion US public changed morality regarding foreign policy: foreign intervention might not be justified