1968

A Turning Point

Khe Sanh Khe Sanh Late 1967, the US military noticed

increasing traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail

Jan. 1968, the NVA & VC struck Khe Sanh

After the 77-day siege, the US held Khe Sanh

*The real purpose was to distract the US from the urban areas where major strikes were planned

Do you think this would be an effective strategy?

Tet Offensive

Tet Offensive was… A Vietcong (VC) attack on several cities & the U.S.

Embassy in South Vietnam It was a series of massive, coordinated attacks through

South Vietnam It occurred during the New Year which in the past had

been celebrated with a cease-fire The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) & VC took advantage of

the surprise *It became a critical point in the Vietnam War http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-

history/videos/tet-offensive-surprises-americans

Main Attacks

Tet Offensive 84,000 Communists attacked 12 U.S. military

bases & 100 South Vietnamese cities The goal was to inspire the South Vietnamese to

rise up against the government but it failed In fact, because the VC killed US supporters,

civilians turned against the VC After 1 month of fighting, the areas were retaken

by the US forces

Effects of the Tet Offensive

Effects US military realized that no part of South Vietnam was safe

from attack General belief that the US would achieve a quick victory

was shattered Walter Cronkite (CBS Anchor) expressed his frustration &

doubt causing LBJ to say “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost middle America”

Americans became critical of the government & McNamara who had shaped US policy McNamara saw the lack of success & started leaning

toward a peace negotiation Review: What was the Tet Offensive?

Review

In 1964, LBJ won with commercials like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbIfVEboAzg However by 1968 LBJ wasn’t willing to continue

Democratic Challengers As LBJ considered re-election in

1968, several events happened… ¾ Americans opposed LBJ’s

policies in Vietnam Eugene McCarthy finished 2nd in the

Democratic primaries (behind LBJ) Robert Kennedy (RFK) entered the

race for president Because of the division within the

party, LBJ announced that he would not run again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOs7BjZrgqY

Johnson Seeks a Solution

Escalation LBJ’s policy of increasing troops & supplies to

Vietnam LBJ considers peace negotiations

Peace Talks Stall because: US wanted all NVA out of South Vietnam but they

refused North Vietnamese would not accept a temporary

South Vietnamese government with a US-backed President (Nguyen Van Thieu)

Election of 1968

Candidates LBJ’s Vice President

Hubert Humphrey entered the race Vietnam is a hot issue

RFK gained ground & won the crucial CA primary However he is

assassinated in CA http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmc2EzkRDkI

Democratic Convention Humphrey & McCarthy

debate inside convention at Chicago Outside, chaos erupts as

10,000 protestors gathered to demand an immediate end to the war & “Peace Now!”

Violence continues as police club demonstrators with rifle butts & clubs … some bystanders are injured

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_9OJnRnZjU

Convention continued

TV captured the violence Viewers were shocked Humphrey wins the

nomination *Chaos = symptom of

growing ‘generation gap’ over the government, politics, & Vietnam Teens & young adults

were at odds with their parents

Richard Nixon

Republicans had the advantage due to the division of the Democratic Party Former Vice President

Nixon easily won the Republican nomination Choose Spiro Agnew as

VP He appealed to patriotism He wanted to “End the war

honorably”

Election of 1968

Candidates Hubert Humphrey

(Democratic) Richard Nixon

(Republican) George Wallace

(Independent) Former Alabama

governor Gained national

attention for staunch opposition to civil rights movement

Election was close Nixon got 43.4% of

popular vote vs. Humphrey’s 42.7%

Electoral vote was not as close: Nixon 301 vs. Humphrey 191

Nixon emerged a confident leader