1968: a year of crises
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1968: A Year of Crises. Section 20.2. Vietnamese soldier shoots civilian at point-blank range. Tet. Capture from clip on the Tet Offensive. Describe the Tet Offensive and its effect on the US military. Massive military offensive of NVA in 1968 (New Years Day or Tet) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
1968: A Year of Crises
Section 20.2
Vietnamese soldier shoots civilian at point-blank range
Tet
Capture from clip on the Tet Offensive
Describe the Tet Offensive and its effect on the US military.
• Massive military offensive of NVA in 1968 (New Years Day or Tet)– General Westmoreland
had claimed US winning– US ultimately won
• 33-40 thousand Vietcong killed
• Turning point of the war– Nowhere was safe– LBJ’s credibility in
doubt
Above: map shows invasion route of NVA; below: GI’s try to stand their ground
Capture from clip on political consequences of Tet
Why is Tet considered a ‘turning point’ in the war?
Anti-war demonstration on the mall in DC
Why is Tet considered a ‘turning point’ in the war?
• Contradicted rosy picture portrayed by Westmoreland
• Media began to challenge LBJ’s account of the war– “What the hell is going
on?” Walter Cronkite– Brutality of war on nightly
news• LBJ approval rating
collapsed– On war- 48% to 26%– “Hey, hey, LBJ. How many
kids did you kill today?”
Above: reprise of point-blank assassination of civilian; below: anti-war demonstrators
Anti-War Protesters Capture from clip about the protests
This is LBJ following the Tet Offensive in 1968.
• Write a newspaper headline for this picture of LBJ after the Tet Offensive.
• In subtitle, make a prediction about his political future.
“Loss of heart and mind”
-Johnson tells stunned nation he will not run for re-election
LBJ slumped at desk in White House, head in hand
Why did LBJ decide not to run for president in 1968?
• Beaten by Eugene McCarthy in New Hampshire primary election– Anti war platform– “Be clean for Gene”
• NY senator Robert F. Kennedy entered presidential race– Supported by antiwar, poor,
working class, minorities• LBJ told that additional troops
would not help win war• “I shall not seek and I will not
accept the nomination of my party as your president.”
Why is 1968 considered such a tragic year?• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
– Came out against the war (against LBJ)
– Spoke against America’s flaws (racism, poverty, militarism, materialism)
– Assassinated 4/4/68 in Memphis
• RFK– Came out against the war– Promised to address racism,
poverty, and end war)– Won California primary
(frontrunner)– Assassinated in June of ’68
by Sirhan Sirhan
Capture from clip on RFK assassination
Democratic Convention Violence
Demonstrators in Chicago being roughed up by police
Describe the Democratic Convention of 1968 in Chicago:
• Hubert Humphrey seemed likely to beat Eugene McCarthy for nomination– publicly supported LBJ’s Vietnam
policies• 10 thousand protesters gathered to
pressure Democrats to adopt anti-war policy
• Mayor Richard Daley– Directed 17 thousand police and
national guard to put down any disruptions
• Riots broadcast on TV– “The Whole World is watching!”
• Democrats associated with violence and disorder
Above: Humphrey and Johnson meet; below: more demonstrations
Capture from clip on the chaos in Chicago (Democrats’ convention)
Describe the Republican campaign:• Nominated Richard
Nixon
• Convention not marred by disorder
• Promised:
– law and order
– An end to wasteful spending (Great Society)
– To end war
• “peace with honor”
Above: Nixon and Agnew on Time cover; below: Nixon’s trademark salute
Who was the third party candidate?• George Wallace: American Independent
Party• Alabama governor (Democrat)• “segregation now,…tomorrow,…forever.”• Campaigned:
– Anti-Establishment– Anti-Counterculture – Pro-union, blue collar worker– Pro-War in Vietnam
• Said if anti-war demonstrator laid down in front of his car, it would be the last car he….
– Lost popularity when he chose Curtis LeMay as running mate
• LeMay supported using nuclear weapons against Vietnam
• “back to the stone age”Top: Wallace with clenched fist; above:
Wallace on time with running-mate
Who won and what did it mean?• Nixon beat Humphrey
by less than 1%
• Signaled that America was becoming more conservative
• Civil rights and Vietnam broke up FDR’s coalition (Southerners, minorities, liberals)
Below: Nixon exults after win