1968: A Tumultuous Year Section 4

Objective: Time, Continuality, & Change  Identify:  The Tet Offensive  Robert Kennedy  Eugene McCarthy  Understand:  The change in public opinion  Why Johnson declined the Presidency

The Tet offensive  Vietnam’s Version of New Years Eve  January 30 th  Called Tet  Large festival  Many funerals were held  These Coffins were filled with weapons  The offensive Lasted a month  100 South Vietnamese towns were attacked  US forces eventually victorious

Lyndon Johnson/Robert Kennedy  Member of the Democratic party  Anti-war coalition led by Robert Kennedy  Following Tet it began to garner attention  Kennedy announced he would run against Johnson  March 31 st 1968  Johnson announces he will seek negotiations to end the war  Also states he will not return as president  June 5 th 1968  Robert Kennedy is assassinated

The End of the War and its Legacy Secion 5

Time, Continuality, & Change  Identify:  Richard Nixon  Vietnamization  Silent Majority  My Lai  Pentagon Papers  Understand  How the Vietnam War changed the way we view government  Understand why the War Powers Act was passed

Richard Millhous Nixon  Elected on the promise to end the conflict in 1968  Began to pull out troops  Began to escalate bombings  Invaded Cambodia to root out the Vietcong  Reelected in 1972 (America Still at war)

Vietnamization  Gradual withdrawal of US troops  Turn over control of defense to South Vietnam troops  From 1969 to 1972 American troops drop  from 500,000 to less than 25,000

Silent majority  Nixon Believed that the majority of Americans supported the war  Afraid to voice their feelings due to the anti war movement  Mostly Moderate, Mainstream Americans

My Lai  Small Vietnamese village  Civilians massacred by US troops  Approximately 200 civilians were killed  Troops insisted they were blameless as:  “they only followed orders”  25 Army officers were charged but only one was convicted  He served 3 years under house arrest “I poured four clips into the group… The mothers were hugging their children… Well, we kept right on firing.” - Private Paul Meadlo

Kent State University  May 4 th, 1970  9 people wounded  4 killed  Students had been protesting for days  Burned down the ROTC Building  Rioted in downtown kent  Mayor called in the National Guard  Opened fire on the protestors  Rioters had thrown rocks and verbally abused them

Invasion of Cambodia/ Pentagon papers  Nixon Invades Cambodia as he promises to draw down troops  Enrages college students  Pentagon Papers  Report done in 1968 under Lyndon Johnson that contradicts many things he said as president.  Really harms Americans faith in the government.

1973  Nixon makes one final push in the fall of 1972  Ramps up bombing  Draws down troops  January 27 th, 1973 America signs the agreement to restore peace to Vietnam  March 29 th 1973 The last combat troops leave Vietnam

Fall of Saigon  While the US pulls out the war rages on and in 1975 North Vietnam launches an all out invasion of the south 

The Legacy  The War Powers Act  President must inform congress within 48 hours of sending men overseas  Troops can only remain for 90 days without congress’ approval