19681968CHAPTER 30, SECTION 4CHAPTER 30, SECTION 4

VOCABULARYVOCABULARY

• TET OFFENSIVETET OFFENSIVE• CLARK CLIFFORDCLARK CLIFFORD• ROBERT F. KENNEDYROBERT F. KENNEDY• EUGENE McCARTHYEUGENE McCARTHY• HUBERT HUMPHREYHUBERT HUMPHREY• GEORGE WALLACEGEORGE WALLACE

IMPORTANT DATESIMPORTANT DATES

• 19681968::– JANUARYJANUARY: THE TET OFFENSIVE: THE TET OFFENSIVE– MARCHMARCH: LBJ ANNOUNCES HE WILL : LBJ ANNOUNCES HE WILL

NOT SEEK RE-ELECTIONNOT SEEK RE-ELECTION– APRILAPRIL: MLK ASSASSINATED: MLK ASSASSINATED– JUNEJUNE: RFK ASSASSINATED: RFK ASSASSINATED– AUGUSTAUGUST: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL : DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

CONVENTION RIOTS IN CHICAGOCONVENTION RIOTS IN CHICAGO– NOVEMBERNOVEMBER: NIXON ELECTED : NIXON ELECTED

PRESIDENTPRESIDENT

A TUMULTUOUS YEARA TUMULTUOUS YEAR• JAN., ’68: JAN., ’68: THE TET OFFENSIVETHE TET OFFENSIVE BEGINSBEGINS

– MASSIVE ASSAULT BY COMMUNIST FORCES ON MASSIVE ASSAULT BY COMMUNIST FORCES ON US/ARVN FORCESUS/ARVN FORCES

– 100 CITIES/TOWNS IN S-VNAM ATTACKED100 CITIES/TOWNS IN S-VNAM ATTACKED– WORST FIGHTING: WORST FIGHTING:

• SAIGON – U.S. EMBASSY OVERRUN BY VCSAIGON – U.S. EMBASSY OVERRUN BY VC• HUE CITYHUE CITY

– OFFENSIVE LASTS 1 MONTHOFFENSIVE LASTS 1 MONTH– RESULTS:RESULTS:

• VC LOSSES: 32,000 KIAVC LOSSES: 32,000 KIA• US/ARVN LOSSES: 3,000US/ARVN LOSSES: 3,000

• EFFECT?EFFECT?– US/ARVN CLAIM MAJOR VICTORYUS/ARVN CLAIM MAJOR VICTORY– TET WAS SHOCK TO AMERICAN PUBLIC: WHY?TET WAS SHOCK TO AMERICAN PUBLIC: WHY?– LBJ/Mc NAMARA HAD STATED WAR WAS NEARLY LBJ/Mc NAMARA HAD STATED WAR WAS NEARLY

WONWON– SO…LBJ’s SO…LBJ’s CREDIBILITY GAPCREDIBILITY GAP GROWS GROWS

•““CRACK THE SKY, CRACK THE SKY, SHAKE THE SHAKE THE EARTH.”EARTH.”

Message to NVA / VC forces Message to NVA / VC forces that they were that they were beginning the beginning the greatest battle in Vietnam’s greatest battle in Vietnam’s history history

TET TET OFFENSIVEOFFENSIVE

,,SOUTHSOUTH

VIETNAM,VIETNAM,JAN.-FEB., JAN.-FEB.,

19681968

• Major NVA/VC Assaults,Major NVA/VC Assaults,

1968 Tet Offensive, Vietnam1968 Tet Offensive, Vietnam

VC/NVA VC/NVA ASSUALT ASSUALT

ON SAIGON, ON SAIGON,

TET TET OFFENSIVE, OFFENSIVE, JAN., 1968 JAN., 1968

U.S. Marines, Hue City, U.S. Marines, Hue City, January, 1968January, 1968

WALTER WALTER CRONKITE, CRONKITE, CBS NEWS, CBS NEWS, VIETNAM, VIETNAM,

19681968

CHANGES IN PUBLIC CHANGES IN PUBLIC OPINIONOPINION

• TET’s EFFECT ON PUBLIC OPINION:TET’s EFFECT ON PUBLIC OPINION:– TET CHANGES U.S. PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT THE TET CHANGES U.S. PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT THE

WAR:WAR:• EXAMPLE; MEDIA POLL BEOFRE TET:EXAMPLE; MEDIA POLL BEOFRE TET:

– 28% DOVES28% DOVES– 56% HAWKS56% HAWKS

• POLL AFTER TET:POLL AFTER TET:– 40% DOVES40% DOVES– 40% HAWKS40% HAWKS

– MEDIA OPENLY CRITICIZES THE WAR:MEDIA OPENLY CRITICIZES THE WAR:• EXAMPLE: CBS NEWS ANCHOR EXAMPLE: CBS NEWS ANCHOR WALTER WALTER

CRONKITECRONKITE CRITICIZES THE WAR CRITICIZES THE WAR– GOV’T. OFFICIALS QUESTION THE WAR:GOV’T. OFFICIALS QUESTION THE WAR:

• EXAMPLE: EXAMPLE: CLARK CLIFFORD, CLARK CLIFFORD, SEC. OF SEC. OF DEFENSE,DEFENSE, BELIEVES WAR IS UNWINNABLEBELIEVES WAR IS UNWINNABLE

– FEBRUARY, ’68 MEDIA POLL:FEBRUARY, ’68 MEDIA POLL:• 60% 60% DISAPPROVE OF LBJ’s HANDLING OF WARDISAPPROVE OF LBJ’s HANDLING OF WAR• 50% 50% FELT U.S INVOLVEMENT IN V-NAM HAD FELT U.S INVOLVEMENT IN V-NAM HAD

BEEN ABEEN A MISTAKEMISTAKE

WALTER CRONKITE, CBS WALTER CRONKITE, CBS NEWSNEWS

MOVING TOWARDS MOVING TOWARDS ELECTIONELECTION

• MARCH, ’68: MARCH, ’68: – LBJ MAKES TELEVISED SPEECH TO NATIONLBJ MAKES TELEVISED SPEECH TO NATION– ANNOUNCES HE WILL BEGIN PEACE ANNOUNCES HE WILL BEGIN PEACE

NEGOTIATIONS TO END WARNEGOTIATIONS TO END WAR– U.S. ESCALATION OF WAR WOULD ENDU.S. ESCALATION OF WAR WOULD END– BOMBING OF N-VNAM WOULD BE BOMBING OF N-VNAM WOULD BE

REDUCEDREDUCED– WILL FORCE S-VNAM TO TAKE LARGER WILL FORCE S-VNAM TO TAKE LARGER

ROLE IN FIGHTINGROLE IN FIGHTING– LBJ ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK LBJ ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK

RE-ELECTION IN ’68RE-ELECTION IN ’68

DEMOCRATS & 1968DEMOCRATS & 1968

• LBJ’s ANNOUNCEMENT OF LBJ’s ANNOUNCEMENT OF WITHDRAWAL FROM ’68 PRESIDENTIAL WITHDRAWAL FROM ’68 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: WHO’S RUNNING?CAMPAIGN: WHO’S RUNNING?– SEN. EUGENE McCARTHY, D-MINN.SEN. EUGENE McCARTHY, D-MINN.– SEN. RFK, D-N.Y.SEN. RFK, D-N.Y.– VP HUBERT HUMPHREYVP HUBERT HUMPHREY

• WHO SUPPORTS EACH CANDIDATE?WHO SUPPORTS EACH CANDIDATE?– McCARTHY: FAR LEFTMcCARTHY: FAR LEFT– RFK: MINORITIES, POORRFK: MINORITIES, POOR– HUMPHREY: REMAINING DEMOS., LBJ HUMPHREY: REMAINING DEMOS., LBJ

SUPPORTERSSUPPORTERS• OTHER EVENTS:OTHER EVENTS:

– APRIL: MLK ASSASSINATED IN APRIL: MLK ASSASSINATED IN MEMPHIS, TN.MEMPHIS, TN.

– JUNE: RFK ASSASSINATED IN L.A.JUNE: RFK ASSASSINATED IN L.A.

1968 Democratic 1968 Democratic CandidatesCandidates

• Eugene McCarthyEugene McCarthy RFK RFK Hubert HumphreyHubert Humphrey

CHICAGOCHICAGO• AUGUST, ’68: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL AUGUST, ’68: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL

CONVENTIONCONVENTION• PROBLEM? PROBLEM?

– LEFT-WING GROUPS TARGETED CONVENTION FOR LEFT-WING GROUPS TARGETED CONVENTION FOR MASSIVE PROTESTSMASSIVE PROTESTS

– WHO?WHO?• SDSSDS• ““YIPPIES”YIPPIES”

– MAYOR RICHARD J. DALY VOWED TO KEEP ORDER MAYOR RICHARD J. DALY VOWED TO KEEP ORDER IN CHICAGOIN CHICAGO

– VIOLENCE BETWEEN PROTESTERS, POLICE, & VIOLENCE BETWEEN PROTESTERS, POLICE, & NATIONAL GUARDNATIONAL GUARD

• RESULTS?RESULTS?– HUNDREDS INJURED, ARRESTEDHUNDREDS INJURED, ARRESTED– PUBLIC IMAGE OF DEMOCRATIV PARTY IS PUBLIC IMAGE OF DEMOCRATIV PARTY IS

DAMAGED DAMAGED – HUBERT HUMPHREY GETS PARTY NOMINATION HUBERT HUMPHREY GETS PARTY NOMINATION

FOR PRES.FOR PRES.– REPUBLICANS ARE STRENGTHENED BY DEMOS. REPUBLICANS ARE STRENGTHENED BY DEMOS.

BAD PUBLIC IMAGEBAD PUBLIC IMAGE

• CHICAGO MAYOR RICHARD J. CHICAGO MAYOR RICHARD J. DALYDALY

ELECTION OF 1968ELECTION OF 1968• WHO RUNS?WHO RUNS?

– DEMOCRATDEMOCRAT: HUBERT HUMPHREY: HUBERT HUMPHREY– REPUBLICANREPUBLICAN: RICHARD M. NIXON: RICHARD M. NIXON– AMERICAN INDEPENDENTAMERICAN INDEPENDENT: GEORGE WALLACE: GEORGE WALLACE

• KEY ISSUES:KEY ISSUES:– VIETNAMVIETNAM– RACE RELATIONSRACE RELATIONS– GOV’T CREDIBILITY – “THE CREDIBILITY GAP”GOV’T CREDIBILITY – “THE CREDIBILITY GAP”

• RESULTS: RESULTS: NIXON WINSNIXON WINS– NIXON: 301 ELECTORAL VOTESNIXON: 301 ELECTORAL VOTES– HUMPHREY: 191 ELECTORAL VOTESHUMPHREY: 191 ELECTORAL VOTES– WALLACE: 46 ELECTORAL VOTES***WALLACE: 46 ELECTORAL VOTES***– ***WALLACE TOOK WORKING CLASS WHITE VOTES ***WALLACE TOOK WORKING CLASS WHITE VOTES

IN NORTH AWAY FROM HUMPHREY DUE TO RACE IN NORTH AWAY FROM HUMPHREY DUE TO RACE ISSUESISSUES

• SO WHAT? SO WHAT? – REPUBLICANS IN POWER FOR FIRST TIME REPUBLICANS IN POWER FOR FIRST TIME

SINCE EISENHOWERSINCE EISENHOWER

RICHARD NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, RICHARD NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 1968 - 741968 - 74