1968: A Tumultuous Year

1
1968 A Tumultuous Year

• Main Idea
• An enemy attack in Vietnam, two assassinations,
  and a chaotic political convention made 1968 an
  explosive year

2
The Tet Offensive

• Description series of massive coordinated
  attacks throughout South Vietnam by the Vietcong
• Began January 30 during Tet festivities
• Truce proclaimed for festivities
• Festivities for new year and funerals for dead
• Thousands of NVA and Vietcong troops attacked a
  US military base, embassy in Saigon, 100 towns
  and cities in South Vietnam
• Tet Offensive lasted for a month

3
(No Transcript)
4
The Tet Offensive

• Results US military victory
• Demonstrated that no part of South Vietnam was
  safe from attack
• Caused many Americans to question whether or not
  the war in Vietnam could be won
• The enemy is close to defeat
• Widening of the Johnson credibility gap
• Media openly criticized the war

5
(No Transcript)
6
Vietnam and Johnson

• March 1968 Johnson announces he will not seek
  reelection
• 1968 60 Americans disapprove of his handling of
  the war
• US will seek negotiations to end the war
• US policy of escalation would end
• Bombing would eventually cease
• Steps would be taken to ensure that the South
  Vietnamese played a larger role in the war

7
Chaos of 1968

• April 4, 1968 MLK assassinated
• Shot by James Earl Ray on the balcony of hotel
• June 6, 1968 RFK assassinated
• Shot leaving a Las Vegas hotel by Sirhan Sirhan,
  a Jordanian immigrant who didnt like Kennedys
  support for Israel
• Major college demonstrations targeting US
  involvement in Vietnam
• Columbia University
• Turmoil at Democratic National Convention

8
Democratic Convention 1968

• Goal select party nominee
• Eugene McCarthy (MN Senator)
• Robert Kennedy (NY Senator) (assassinated)
• Hubert Humphrey (Johnsons VP)
• Description antiwar protestors turned violent at
  Chicago convention
• Protestors upset at selection of Humphrey as
  nominee
• Protestors wanted Democrats to adopt antiwar
  platform
• Police and protestors clashed (mace, beatings)
• Television cameras captured events
• The Whole World is Watching!

9
(No Transcript)
10
Other Contenders in 1968

• Richard Nixon
• Republican
• Won the nomination at the Republican National
  Convention
• Chose Spiro Agnew as his running mate
• Appealed to the patriotism of mainstream
  Americans
• Promised law and order
• Claimed to have a secret plan to end the war
  with honor

• George Wallace
• Independent (former Democrat)
• Former Alabama governor
• Nominated by the American Independent Party
• Opposed the civil rights movement and school
  desegregation and war protesters
• Appealed to conservative Democratic white
  southerners and working class whites

11
Democratic Convention 1968

• Results Democrats perceived as chaotic and
  disorganized
• Republicans win presidency
• Richard Nixon

12
(No Transcript)