Chapter 30: Chapter 30: The Vietnam EraThe Vietnam EraPreview:Preview: “Presidents from Truman to Nixon argued that “Presidents from Truman to Nixon argued that communism in Southeast Asia threatened vital American communism in Southeast Asia threatened vital American interests. But it was Lyndon Johnson who began a massive interests. But it was Lyndon Johnson who began a massive bombing campaign and sent half a million American troops bombing campaign and sent half a million American troops to intervene in Vietnam’s civil war.”to intervene in Vietnam’s civil war.”
The Highlights:The Highlights: The Road to VietnamThe Road to Vietnam Social Consequences of the WarSocial Consequences of the War The UnravelingThe Unraveling Nixon’s WarNixon’s War The New Identity PoliticsThe New Identity Politics The End of an EraThe End of an Era
Tet OffensiveTet Offensive– One of the great American intelligence One of the great American intelligence
failuresfailures– StalemateStalemate– My LaiMy Lai– ““Clean for Gene”Clean for Gene”– LBJ withdrawsLBJ withdraws
The Shocks of 1968The Shocks of 1968– The King and Kennedy assassinationsThe King and Kennedy assassinations– Both men exemplified the liberal traditionBoth men exemplified the liberal tradition
Whose Silent Majority?Whose Silent Majority?– Governor George WallaceGovernor George Wallace– Nixon’s “silent majority”Nixon’s “silent majority”– The election of 1968The election of 1968
“The clashes in Chicago seemed homegrown, but they reflected a growing willingness among students worldwide to use violence to press their revolutionary causes”(1022).
Vietnamization-and CambodiaVietnamization-and Cambodia– ““Peace with honor”Peace with honor”– Nixon launched a series of bombing Nixon launched a series of bombing
attacks against North Vietnamese supply attacks against North Vietnamese supply depotsdepots
– Invading CambodiaInvading Cambodia Fighting a No-Win WarFighting a No-Win War
– Morale became a serious problem for Morale became a serious problem for American soldiersAmerican soldiers
– As the troops became restive, domestic As the troops became restive, domestic opposition to the war grewopposition to the war grew
The Move toward DetenteThe Move toward Detente– Nixon DoctrineNixon Doctrine– SALT I (1972)SALT I (1972)
“Despite Nixon’s insistence on ‘peace with honor,’ Vietnam was not a war he had chosen to fight. Both Kissinger and Nixon recognized that the United States no longer had the strength to exercise unchallenged dominance across the globe”(1026).
The New Identity PoliticsThe New Identity Politics
Latino ActivismLatino Activism– Puerto Ricans and CubansPuerto Ricans and Cubans– Cesar Chavez and the UFWCesar Chavez and the UFW– Chicano activistsChicano activists– La Raza UnidaLa Raza Unida
The Choices of American IndiansThe Choices of American Indians– Termination: reduction of federal Termination: reduction of federal
services, selling off landservices, selling off land– American Indian MovementAmerican Indian Movement– Wounded Knee Wounded Knee
FeminismFeminism– The Feminine MystiqueThe Feminine Mystique– National Organization for WomenNational Organization for Women
Equal Rights and AbortionEqual Rights and Abortion– Roe v. Wade Roe v. Wade (1973)(1973)– Women dividedWomen divided
The Legacy of Identity PoliticsThe Legacy of Identity Politics– Political and social activism had Political and social activism had
brought a sense of empowerment to brought a sense of empowerment to minority groupsminority groups
– Identity politics forced the nation to Identity politics forced the nation to see itself as a multicultural societysee itself as a multicultural society
““The war in Southeast Asia shattered the The war in Southeast Asia shattered the optimism of the early 1960s: the belief that optimism of the early 1960s: the belief that the world could be remade with the help of the world could be remade with the help of enough brilliant intellectuals or enough enough brilliant intellectuals or enough federal programs”(1038).federal programs”(1038).
