1968: A Year of Crises

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