1968: A Tumultuous Year

Main Idea:

An enemy attack in Vietnam, two assassinations, and a chaotic political

convention made 1968 an explosive year

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

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

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

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 didn’t like Kennedy’s support for Israel

• Major college demonstrations targeting US involvement in Vietnam– Columbia University

• Turmoil at Democratic National Convention

Democratic Convention 1968• Goal = select party nominee

– Eugene McCarthy (MN Senator)– Robert Kennedy (NY Senator) (assassinated)– Hubert Humphrey (Johnson’s 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!”

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

Democratic Convention 1968

• Results: Democrats perceived as chaotic and disorganized

• Republicans win presidency– Richard Nixon