1. To what extent did the anti-war movement achieve its aims?
Lesson objectives:
To know the context for the Vietnam war
To be able to identify and explain reasons why the war was unpopular
To examine the impacts of the anti-war movement and analyse whether they were effective

2. Questions to ask? What do you know about the Vietnam War?
What do you want to know?

3. Good Morning Vietnam!

4. Questions to ask?
Use Edexcel to answer your questions.

5. The Domino Theory

6. Why did the Vietnam War become unpopular with many Americans?

7. Why did the Vietnam War become unpopular with many Americans?
Tens of thousands of Americans died
The war cost billions of dollars
The war seemed unwinnable
The war seemed racist and tens of thousands of Vietnamese were killed
The draft forced many people to fight
It was easy for rich whites to dodge the draft
America lost the propaganda battle

8. Losing the propaganda battle

9. Anti-war actions Group Why? Action Consequences
Students for a Democratic Society
Mass anti-war rally
Teach ins
Draft burning
Anti-war coalition/ Vietnam Day Committee
San Francisco Diggers
Black campaigners
Youth International Party

10. Consequences Group Why? Action Students for a Democratic Society
1. Believed that the war was corrupt
2. They were particularly worried about the draft
3. Many knew friends who had been killed or injured
Mass anti-war rally in Washington D.C. in 1965 – 20,000 attended.
Teach ins used to encourage students to speak out. They spread across universities and academics became involved.
Draft burning were organised gatherings in which draft cards were burnt in protest at the war. The govt responded by making this illegal.
The protests did not bring an end to the war.
A majority of Americans continued to give their support.
The protests did result in LBJ not standing for office again.
The victor of the 1968 election was Richard Nixon. Nixon was a Republican. He had little sympathy for the Civil Rights movement and sought to reassert traditional values. The counterculture movement fizzled out. The residue continued with their drugs and sex but lost their political voice.
Anti-war coalition/ Vietnam Day Committee
40,000 headed to Washington D.C. and marched from White House to Lincoln Memorial chanting slogans like ‘Hey, hey, LBJ, how many men have you killed today!’
San Francisco Diggers
Organised human be-in to protest against Vietnam War and banning of LSD.
Black campaigners
Summed up by Ali ‘ain’t got no problem with no Vietcong’. Also drained money for ‘Great Society’ projects.
SNCC were very involved in the teach-ins.
Martin Luther King eventually spoke out against the war in 1967 (for a long time he had resisted as he didn’t want to ruin relations with LBJ)
Muhammad Ali went to prison for refusing to sign up.
Youth International Party
Were against all authority
Flag contained marijuana leaf. They organised anti-war march on the pentagon and put forward a pig for presidential election in ’68.

11. The impact of the anti-war movement.
Failed to persuade the American people that the war was unjust.
1968: 56% ‘hawks’ 28% ‘doves’
Some felt protests undermined the efforts of the troops
Media continued to support campaign

12. 1960s biography Imagine you are writing a biography of the 1960s.
For your book you need
A catchy title
A one paragraph summary of your viewpoint on the achievements and failings of the 60s
A chapter break down for book (7 chapters each with a couple of sentences explaining what the chapter is about)
A cover image – drawn or taken from the internet.

13. Conclusion Counterculture largely disappeared by 1970.
Some hippie communes infiltrated by criminals like Charles Manson.
Communes could not cope with the needs of vulnerable.
Many women found sexual liberation led to sexual exploitation.