1. January 10, 2011 What was the war like ?
Six major questions about 1968
Group Presentations
Cause and Effect of the 6 essential questions
Homework: Section 5 Notes

2. Cause and Effect
In groups, you will take your topic and show the class its causes and effects on that year.
For Example: Topic Vietnam War
Causes – Vietcong’s push to capture S.V, Ho Chi Minh’s promise of an independent Vietnam
Effects – U.S. soldiers sent to war, Johnson’s popularity falling, college protestors
You may do this in poster form or in skit form.
The topics are:
The Surprise Attack
Changes Public Opinion
Johnson Withdraws
Violence and Protest in 1968
Turmoil in Chicago
Nixon Triumphs

3. A Surprise Attack January 30- Vietnamese New Year’s Eve
Lunar new year festivities known in Vietnam as Tet
Villagers took advantage of week long truce to hold funerals for war victims.
Coffins contained weapons and many villagers were Vietcong agents

4. Westmoreland was wrong.
continued for a month
Westmoreland declared the attacks an overwhelming defeat for the Vietcong.
Westmoreland was wrong.
Shook the American public and credibility gap suddenly widened
Shocking images of attacks by an enemy that seemed to be everywhere.

5. Tet Changes Public Opinion
Tet offensive changed millions of minds about the war.
Mainstream media now openly criticized the war
Defense secretary, Clark Clifford concluded that the war was un-winnable
Johnson’s popularity plummeted

6. Whose running in 1968? Robert Kennedy decided not to run
Eugene McCarthy ready to run against Johnson on a platform to end the war.

7. Robert Kennedy declared his candidacy for president which divided the Democratic Party.
Johnson announced that the U.S. would seek negotiations to end the war.
Johnson stepped down because of party division and the war

8. Violence and Protest Grip the Nation
1968- assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Two months latter, Robert Kennedy was assassination
Nation’s college campuses continued to protest.
Students clashed with university officials over campus and social issues.

9. Turmoil in Chicago
Johnson stepped down leaving Eugene McCarthy against Hubert Humphrey in the Democratic presidential primary race.
Nomination to be done in Chicago protesters arrive to provoke violence.
Protestors march on convention where cops were present.

10. Nixon Triumphs Republican presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon.
Political career all but dead so he joined a New York law firm.
1968- Nixon announced his candidacy for president and won the party’s nomination.
Campaigned on a promise to restore law and order.

11. Promised, in vague terms to end the war in Vietnam
George Wallace was a Democrat who ran as a third-party candidate
Wallace supported school segregation and states’ rights and was labeled the “white backlash” candidate
Wallace took some Democrat votes allowing Nixon to win.