1968 A Tumultuous Year

VIETNAM

HAWKS

HAWKS AND DOVES

DOVES

HAWKS PRO-WAR worldwide struggle against

communism must protect SE Asia need ground troops to be

successful Critical of Johnson for

fighting a limited war not using all of America’s

firepower Critical of Americans who

didn’t support the war as unpatriotic

ANTI-WAR  Civil war among the

Vietnamese peopleNone of our businessCritical of Johnson for

lying about the Gulf of Tonkin incident

size and purpose of troops progress of the fighting sacrificing Americans in an

undeclared war killing of Vietnamese

citizens

HAWKS AND DOVES

DOVES

December 1967 Westmoreland: “war is almost won”Enemy has no strength left

Tet: Vietnamese New YearCelebrated late January/early February (lunar

holiday)Tet usually not a time of fighting (remember: civil

war)January 30, 1968 (Tet)

Massive attack by VietcongEvery major city and installation in South Vietnam

simultaneously

TET OFFENSIVE

RESULTS OF THE TET OFFENSIVE

RESULTS OF TET – PARISU.S. agrees to talk with

North VietnameseU.S. must agree to stop

bombing North VietnamTalks go nowhere"New agreement of sorts

from the Paris peace talks. After a six hour talk, both sides finally agreed on corned beef on rye for lunch!“

Couldn’t agree on shape of table!

RESULTS OF TET – SOUTH VIETNAMAncient capital, Hue,

destroyedARVN – Army of the

Republic of South Vietnam (government army) retakes lost cities and towns

Government loses supportU.S. bombing intensifies in

South VietnamVietcong are everywhereWestmoreland wants more

troops

RESULTS OF TET – UNITED STATESJohnson criticized by

both Hawks and Doves More intense anti-war

protests in U.S."That . . . war, killed the

lady I really loved -- The Great Society.“

March 31, 1968: Johnson announces he will not run again for president

Johnson announcement

RESULTS OF TET – UNITED STATESDemocratic Party

splinters between Hawk and Dove factions

April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinated

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmOBbxgxKvo

Intense race riots follow

Split in Democratic Party

Three Democrats seek nominationHubert HumphreyEugene McCarthyRobert Kennedy

ELECTION OF 1968 – THE DEMOCRATS

ELECTION OF 1968 – THE DEMOCRATSHUBERT HUMPHREYJohnson’s Vice-

PresidentStatus Quo – continue

Johnson’s policiesSupport of “Old

Guard” DemocratsMoney of the

Democratic PartyHawks of the

Democratic Party

ELECTION OF 1968 – THE DEMOCRATSEugene McCarthy Senator (Minnesota)Challenged Johnson

for nomination before Johnson dropped out

Opposed to warSupported by

youthanti-war peopleDoves

ELECTION OF 1968 – THE DEMOCRATSRobert Kennedy Senator (New York)Opposed to warSupported by

youthanti-war peopleDoves

How is he different from McCarthy?

Won California primary (June 4) – what ended his presidential bid?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmc2EzkRDkI

ELECTION OF 1968 – THE DEMOCRATSDemocratic Convention

in ChicagoHumphrey gets

nominationViolence between

Doves and police

Three candidate race for president

Hubert Humphrey Richard Nixon George Wallace

ELECTION OF 1968

ELECTION OF 1968

Hubert Humphrey

Ending war on our terms

“Peace with honor”

ELECTION OF 1968Richard NixonEnd war on our terms

Restore “Law and Order”Very much against anti-war protesters

ELECTION OF 1968George WallaceFormer Governor of

AlabamaAnti-civil rightsV-P candidate, Curtis

LeMay, advocated using nukes in Vietnam

“The only four letter words hippies don’t know are w-o-r-k and s-o-a-p”

ELECTION OF 1968If you are an anti-war

activist who is your best choice?

Nixon43.4% of popular vote301 Electoral Votes

Humphrey42.7% of popular vote191 Electoral Votes

Wallace13.5% of popular vote45 Electoral Votes