1. 1968 CHAPTER 30, SECTION 4

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

3. IMPORTANT DATES 1968:1968: –JANUARY: THE TET OFFENSIVE –MARCH: LBJ ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION –APRIL: MLK ASSASSINATED –JUNE: RFK ASSASSINATED –AUGUST: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION RIOTS IN CHICAGO –NOVEMBER: NIXON ELECTED PRESIDENT

4. A TUMULTUOUS YEAR JAN., ’68: THE TET OFFENSIVE BEGINSJAN., ’68: THE TET OFFENSIVE BEGINS –MASSIVE ASSAULT BY COMMUNIST FORCES ON US/ARVN FORCES –100 CITIES/TOWNS IN S-VNAM ATTACKED –WORST FIGHTING: SAIGON – U.S. EMBASSY OVERRUN BY VCSAIGON – U.S. EMBASSY OVERRUN BY VC HUE CITYHUE CITY –OFFENSIVE LASTS 1 MONTH –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 VICTORY –TET WAS SHOCK TO AMERICAN PUBLIC: WHY? –LBJ/Mc NAMARA HAD STATED WAR WAS NEARLY WON –SO…LBJ’s CREDIBILITY GAP GROWS

5. “CRACK THE SKY, SHAKE THE EARTH.”“CRACK THE SKY, SHAKE THE EARTH.” Message to NVA / VC forces that they were beginning the greatest battle in Vietnam’s history

6. TET OFFENSIVE, SOUTH VIETNAM, JAN.-FEB., 1968

7. Major NVA/VC Assaults,Major NVA/VC Assaults, 1968 Tet Offensive, Vietnam

8. VC/NVA ASSUALT ON SAIGON, TET OFFENSIVE, JAN., 1968

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

13. WALTER CRONKITE, CBS NEWS, VIETNAM, 1968

14. CHANGES IN PUBLIC OPINION TET’s EFFECT ON PUBLIC OPINION:TET’s EFFECT ON PUBLIC OPINION: –TET CHANGES U.S. PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT THE WAR: EXAMPLE; MEDIA POLL BEOFRE TET:EXAMPLE; MEDIA POLL BEOFRE TET: –28% DOVES –56% HAWKS POLL AFTER TET:POLL AFTER TET: –40% DOVES –40% HAWKS –MEDIA OPENLY CRITICIZES THE WAR: EXAMPLE: CBS NEWS ANCHOR WALTER CRONKITE CRITICIZES THE WAREXAMPLE: CBS NEWS ANCHOR WALTER CRONKITE CRITICIZES THE WAR –GOV’T. OFFICIALS QUESTION THE WAR: EXAMPLE: CLARK CLIFFORD, SEC. OF DEFENSE, BELIEVES WAR IS UNWINNABLEEXAMPLE: CLARK CLIFFORD, SEC. OF DEFENSE, BELIEVES WAR IS UNWINNABLE –FEBRUARY, ’68 MEDIA POLL: 60% DISAPPROVE OF LBJ’s HANDLING OF WAR60% DISAPPROVE OF LBJ’s HANDLING OF WAR 50% FELT U.S INVOLVEMENT IN V-NAM HAD BEEN A MISTAKE50% FELT U.S INVOLVEMENT IN V-NAM HAD BEEN A MISTAKE

15. WALTER CRONKITE, CBS NEWS

16. MOVING TOWARDS ELECTION MARCH, ’68:MARCH, ’68: –LBJ MAKES TELEVISED SPEECH TO NATION –ANNOUNCES HE WILL BEGIN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS TO END WAR –U.S. ESCALATION OF WAR WOULD END –BOMBING OF N-VNAM WOULD BE REDUCED –WILL FORCE S-VNAM TO TAKE LARGER ROLE IN FIGHTING – LBJ ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN ’68

17. DEMOCRATS & 1968 LBJ’s ANNOUNCEMENT OF WITHDRAWAL FROM ’68 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: WHO’S RUNNING?LBJ’s ANNOUNCEMENT OF WITHDRAWAL FROM ’68 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: WHO’S RUNNING? –SEN. EUGENE McCARTHY, D-MINN. –SEN. RFK, D-N.Y. –VP HUBERT HUMPHREY WHO SUPPORTS EACH CANDIDATE?WHO SUPPORTS EACH CANDIDATE? –McCARTHY: FAR LEFT –RFK: MINORITIES, POOR –HUMPHREY: REMAINING DEMOS., LBJ SUPPORTERS OTHER EVENTS:OTHER EVENTS: –APRIL: MLK ASSASSINATED IN MEMPHIS, TN. –JUNE: RFK ASSASSINATED IN L.A.

18. 1968 Democratic Candidates Eugene McCarthy RFK Hubert HumphreyEugene McCarthy RFK Hubert Humphrey

19. CHICAGO AUGUST, ’68: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTIONAUGUST, ’68: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION PROBLEM?PROBLEM? –LEFT-WING GROUPS TARGETED CONVENTION FOR MASSIVE PROTESTS –WHO? SDSSDS “YIPPIES”“YIPPIES” –MAYOR RICHARD J. DALY VOWED TO KEEP ORDER IN CHICAGO –VIOLENCE BETWEEN PROTESTERS, POLICE, & NATIONAL GUARD RESULTS?RESULTS? –HUNDREDS INJURED, ARRESTED –PUBLIC IMAGE OF DEMOCRATIV PARTY IS DAMAGED –HUBERT HUMPHREY GETS PARTY NOMINATION FOR PRES. –REPUBLICANS ARE STRENGTHENED BY DEMOS. BAD PUBLIC IMAGE

20. CHICAGO MAYOR RICHARD J. DALYCHICAGO MAYOR RICHARD J. DALY

22. ELECTION OF 1968 WHO RUNS?WHO RUNS? –DEMOCRAT: HUBERT HUMPHREY –REPUBLICAN: RICHARD M. NIXON –AMERICAN INDEPENDENT: GEORGE WALLACE KEY ISSUES:KEY ISSUES: –VIETNAM –RACE RELATIONS –GOV’T CREDIBILITY – “THE CREDIBILITY GAP” RESULTS: NIXON WINSRESULTS: NIXON WINS –NIXON: 301 ELECTORAL VOTES –HUMPHREY: 191 ELECTORAL VOTES –WALLACE: 46 ELECTORAL VOTES*** –***WALLACE TOOK WORKING CLASS WHITE VOTES IN NORTH AWAY FROM HUMPHREY DUE TO RACE ISSUES SO WHAT?SO WHAT? –REPUBLICANS IN POWER FOR FIRST TIME SINCE EISENHOWER

23. RICHARD NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 1968 - 74