1. Vietnam War Comes To An End
With the war creeping on with no victory in sight, Americans try to deal with the losses at home.

2. The Tet Offensive Turns the Tide
January 30, 1968 (New Years Eve)
Celebrated in Vietnam as the start of Tet
Tet = New Year celebration
No fighting usually took place this day.

3. North Vietnam Surprise Attacks!
Tet Offensive
84,000 Vietcong attack major areas of South Vietnam including:
US army bases
S. Vietnam capital Saigon
US would never win another battle in North Vietnam

4. Election Year of 1968 LBJ does not run for re-election
Richard Nixon (Republican)
Ran on slogan “you can’t trust Democrats”
“I will end this war!”
Hubert Humphrey (Democrat)
Claimed to want to end war as well

5. Protests Break Out Across US
By 1969
Its clear that Vietnam War is not going to end
Nixon lied!
Even started to send more troops to other SE Asia areas
Cambodia
Laos
Over 1.2 million troops in SE Asia
In Vietnam
US still trying to get Vietcong out of South Vietnam

6. Walter Cronkite on CBS Evening News protests

7. New York Times releases the Pentagon Papers
Documents that revealed the government had lied about:
How the war in Vietnam was going
Sending US troops to Cambodia
Amount of actual US deaths

8. Kent State University May 4, 1970
Supposedly KSU students set fire to campus ROTC building.
Protesting troops being sent to Cambodia
Ohio Governor John James Rhodes
“I will eradicate these protestors!”
How?

9. Governor James Rhodes

10. Call in the Ohio National Guard Shoot and Kill 4 students!

11. 4 dead in Ohio….

12. News Spreads! KSU shootings become national news quickly!
Then, it happens again.
Jackson State University
In Mississippi
Police shoot 2 students for “protesting”

13. Surely Nixon Can’t Win Again!
Election of 1972
Nixon runs on campaign of “cease fire” in Vietnam
Bring the boys home!
Wins election in a landslide
Small election change
26th Amendment
Voting age lowered from 21 to 18

14. Congress does not trust Nixon!
1972
North Vietnam offered a cease fire.
US troops could leave S. Vietnam
S. Vietnam would get own democratic government
Had to have Vietminh political party involved!
Good plan, right?
S. Vietnam says no!
We support them so…..

15. Nixon Tries to Erase N. Vietnam
For 2 weeks
US drops 40,000 tons of bombs over N. Vietnam
Still hopes Vietcong would give up!
Doesn’t work…
Finally, January 1973
Congress starts to bring troops home.
S. Vietnam government falls apart.

16. April 30, 1975 Saigon falls to Vietcong!
S. Vietnam surrenders to Communists.
1973
Congress passes War Powers Act
Gives Congress back “right to declare war”
Limits military commitment by President to 60 days!
Supposedly….

17. War Ends
Click here for Evacuation of Saigon

18. Vietnam Veterans Over 2 million troops sent to Vietnam
58,000 thousand die
300,000 injured
25,000 Missing in Action
1.2 claim PTSD and Agent Orange Disease

19. Vietnam War Memorial “The Wall”