1. The anti-war movement and Getting OUT
AKA, why did Americans hate the Vietnam War so much?

2. Anti-war demonstrations
By 1967, daily occurrences at American universities
“Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?”
Escalating troops= more casualties
Not a “good war”
Television images
Black leaders (like Dr. King) find the war unfair

3. Violence at home and abroad
1968 Presidential Election
Bobby Kennedy (JFK’s brother) assassinated
Dr. King assassinated
Richard Nixon elected president
My Lai Massacre: journalist uncovers U.S. massacre of 200 villagers (women, children, elderly men) in March of Lieutenant eventually found guilty of murder of 109 villagers
Cambodia bombings: Nixon oks bombings of communist sections of Cambodia and Laos (neutral countries)
Kent State: May 4, 1970
An anti-war protest turns violent as protestors attack an ROTC building
National Guard called in, 4 students killed

4. A losing battle 1968: the height of the war Tet Offensive
500,000 troops (35,000 killed)
1.2 million tons of bombs
130,000 Vietnamese civilian deaths per month
Tet Offensive
Supposed to be a truce on Vietnamese New Year
70,000 communist forces launch a surprise attack in South Vietnam, capture capital
U.S. eventually “wins,” but makes it seem like we don’t know what we are doing
Johnson decides not to run for re-election
Cost of war led to $6 billion in domestic cuts

5. The end of the war
Nixon announces “Vietnamization,” transferring fighting to the S. Vietnamese
1973: U.S. and N. Vietnam sign a cease-fire agreement; N. Vietnam allowed to keep 150,000 troops in S.
1974: North launches attacks on South; April 30, 1975, S. Vietnam surrenders to communist forces.
1975: Khmer Rouge (communists dictator Pol Pot)take over Cambodia; communist forces take over Laos