1. Frustration
American casualties were discouraging many from supporting the war (58,000 deaths by end. 300,000 wounded)
Public support for the war had been high in the mid-60s, but as the reality of the war was displayed nightly on television news programs, American’s enthusiasm quickly eroded
Viewers had to decide whether to believe the government’s claims that we were winning, or trust what they saw on TV – they chose television

2. The “Television War”
The reality of the war was displayed nightly on television news programs
Viewers had to decide whether to believe the govt’s claims that we were winning, or trust what they saw on TV

3. Frustration “Doves” and “Hawks” Doves- for US withdrawal from Vietnam
Hawks- escalating the war
Hawks supported escalating the war as a noble fight against communism, buying into the “domino theory” that if Vietnam fell, so would all of Southeast Asia
Doves opposed the war and called on the government to pull out of Vietnam completely

4. An Unpopular draft The draft resulted in an anti-war movement
Young, poor men were sent to fight in what was seen as an unjust war
Wealthy could seek deferments, while poor, urban, and African Americans were sent to fight
College students (who tended to be from white, middle or upper-class families) could win draft deferments, while those who could not afford college (many from poor minorities) found themselves more at risk of being drafted and deployed to Vietnam
African Americans made up about 10% of the US population, but accounted for 20% of US casualties during the war

5. An Unpopular draft
Young men felt that if they could not vote, they should not fight
26th amendment= Lowers the voting age to 18
Eventually, draft was replaced by a lottery system
Many publicly burned their draft cards or refused to register
Some chose to leave the US, fleeing to Canada or Europe
Some refused to serve when drafted, choosing to do time in prison over fighting

6. 1972- Draft Chart

7. The Media Turns Against the War
CBS Evening News anchorman Walter Cronkite declared “It is more certain than ever that the bloody experience in Vietnam is to end in a stalemate”
LBJ approval rating=26%

8. 1968 – America’s Nightmare
Riots occurred outside the Chicago Democratic Convention
Robert F Kennedy (leading candidate for Democrats) assassinated
LBJ’s VP Hubert Humphrey nominated

9. Richard nixon
Richard Nixon(R)- promised to end the war and appealed to the “silent majority”
The Americans that were not protesting and that the Great Society ignored

10. Pressure To Get Out
1968-US troops murdered hundreds of civilians in the village of My Lai
The trial became public in 1971, served as greater evidence for why we should leave Vietnam

11. Vietnamization Nixon’s plan for ending the war =Vietnamization
Slow, gradual withdraw of US troops, handing the war over to the South Vietnamese
“Peace with honor”

12. Trouble for Nixon Nixon was slow to deliver on his promises
Bombed Cambodia and Laos; Did not tell Congress of the plan
Wanted to disrupt Vietcong supplies
This invasion sparked nationwide U.S. protests as Nixon had promised to deescalate the American involvement. Four students were killed by National Guardsmen at Kent State University during a protest in Ohio, which provoked further public outrage in the United States

13. Trouble for Nixon
Kent State University- antiwar protest turns deadly as 4 students were killed by the National Guard
Displayed tensions between hawks and doves.
Displayed the tensions between hawks and doves, the protestors and the silent majority
Nick Saban
There was a significant national response to the shootings: hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of 4 million students,

14. Student activism College campuses were the focal point of the draft
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
Against racism, poverty, and the war
Michigan

15. Pressure To Get Out 1971- Pentagon Papers were published
Detailed the dishonest and deceitful policies of the US in Vietnam
Published for the public in the New York Times
1971: former Dept. of Defense employee Daniel Ellsberg leaked classified documents to the New York Times
These documents revealed that the White House and military had deliberately acted to deceive Congress, the media, and the public about how the war was progressing

16. Credibility Gap
As the war progressed, it was clear to many Americans that the government was not honest with us
credibility gap-difference between what the govt said, and what was reported by the media

17. The war Finally ends
1973, the US and North Vietnam signed the Paris Peace Accords
US would withdraw all troops, POW’s would be exchanged, but NVA would remain in the South
550 POW’s were returned,
Saigon fell to the Communists in 1975
After peace talks broke down in December 1972, Nixon ordered a relentless bombing campaign against the North
B-52 bombers hit targets in North Vietnam for 11 straight days
To stop the bombing, the North agreed to return to the bargaining table

18. The war’s impact
War Powers Act: Required President to consult with Congress before committing troops
Americans were more suspicious of the government’s foreign policies and less willing to intervene
Passed to place limits on the president’s power to engage the military in combat operations
Requires the president to inform Congress within 48 hours of committing US troops and to withdraw those troops with 60 to 90 days unless Congress approves their mission