1. Vietnam War Comes To An End 5.5 Students will understand and connect the events that led to the American withdrawal from Vietnam.

2. Vietnam War Comes To An End With the war creeping on, with no victory in sight, Americans try to deal with the losses at home. The government faced problems at home and in Vietnam

3. The Tet Offensive Turns the Tide January 30, 1968 (New Years Eve) Celebrated in Vietnam as the start of Tet Tet = New Year celebration  No fighting usually took place this day.

4. North Vietnam Surprise Attacks! Tet Offensive 84,000 Vietcong attack major areas of South Vietnam including: US army bases S. Vietnam capital Saigon US would never win another battle in North Vietnam

5. Election Year of 1968 LBJ does not run for re- election Richard Nixon (Republican) Ran on slogan “you can’t trust Democrats” “I will end this war!” Hubert Humphrey (Democrat) Claimed to want to end war as well

6. Nixon’s Plan Vietnamization: June 1969 Nixon planned to end the “Americanization” of the war by turning control of the war over to the S. Vietnamese April 20, 1970: Nixon announces that he will begin withdrawing 150,000 troops from Vietnam by 1972 However, as the war continues to progress Nixon delays implementation of the plan.

7. Protests Break Out Across US By 1969 Its clear that Vietnam War is not going to end Nixon lied!  Even started to send more troops to other SE Asia areas  Cambodia  Laos  Over 1.2 million troops in SE Asia In Vietnam  US still trying to get Vietcong out of South Vietnam

8. Walter Cronkite on CBS Evening News 1 st television war Daily updates and commentary about the war. Cronkite visited Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. He returned and expressed his views that the war was unwinnable and that the “U.S. was mired in unbreakable stalemate” He was the 1 st national broadcaster to abandon objectivity and give editorial during news stories. Very influential to average Americans. Helped shape public opinion.

9. New York Times releases the Pentagon Papers Documents that revealed the government had lied about: How the war in Vietnam was going Sending US troops to Cambodia Amount of actual US deaths

10. Kent State University May 4, 1970 Supposedly KSU students set fire to campus ROTC building. Protesting troops being sent to Cambodia Ohio Governor John James Rhodes  “I will eradicate these protestors!”  How?

11. Call in the Ohio National Guard Shoot and Kill 4 students!

12. 4 dead in Ohio….

13. News Spreads! KSU shootings become national news quickly! Then, it happens again. Jackson State University In Mississippi Police shoot 2 students for “protesting”

14. Surely Nixon Can’t Win Again! Election of 1972 Nixon runs on campaign of “cease fire” in Vietnam Bring the boys home! Wins election in a landslide Small election change 26 th Amendment  Voting age lowered from 21 to 18

15. Congress does not trust Nixon! 1972 North Vietnam offered a cease fire. US troops would have to leave S. Vietnam S. Vietnam would get own democratic government  Had to have Vietminh political party involved! Good plan, right? S. Vietnam says no!  We support them so…..

16. Nixon Tries to Erase N. Vietnam For 2 weeks US drops 40,000 tons of bombs over N. Vietnam Still hopes Vietcong would give up! Doesn’t work… Finally, January 1973 Congress starts to bring troops home. S. Vietnam government falls apart.

17. War Winds Down Paris Peace Accords January 27, 1973 Cease Fire between North and South Effectively ends direct American involvement (Jan. 23) All “Combat” troops were to be removed within 90 days Draft is discontinued July 16 th 1973 Senate begins hearings on illegal bombings of Cambodia. Senate orders the bombings to stop.

18. The War Comes to an End Nov. 7 th 1973 Congress passes War Powers Act Gives Congress back “right to declare war” Limits military commitment by President to 60 days!  Supposedly….

19. The War Comes to an End 1974 August 9 Nixon resigns his presidency following the Watergate Scandal September President Ford announces he will grant clemency to draft dodgers who take an oath of allegiance. December The North violates the Paris Peace by invading the South.

20. The War Comes to an End 1975 January Ford tells the Nation and the World that the U.S. is “unwilling to re-enter the war” April 21 S. Vietnamese government condemns the U.S. as liars and cowards April 30 Saigon falls and is renamed Ho Chi Minh City. The last Americans are Air lifted to safety along with as many refugees as possible.

21. Vietnam Veterans Over 2 million troops sent to Vietnam 58,000 thousand die 300,000 injured 25,000 Missing in Action 1.2 claim PTSD and Agent Orange Disease

22. Vietnam War Memorial “The Wall”