The War divides America Chapter 25, Section 3

Antiwar protests Increase By 1965, most of the soldiers who were serving in Vietnam had been drafted, and not volunteers. The number of African Americans drafted also increased, causing many to see the process as unfair. Growing disdain for the war stemmed from the growing number of deaths seen in Vietnam. As more people died, the end seemed further away. This, combined with a growing disparity between government and journalist reports (known as a “credibility gap”), angered many Americans.

The Tet Offensive Early in 1968, the U.S. knew a communist attack on South Vietnam was going to take place. The only question was when. On January 30th, 1968, the North Vietnamese launched an attack on strategic locations across South Vietnam to encourage SV citizens to rebel against the ARVN and US forces, which became known as the Tet Offensive. Although the plan did not work, and U.S. forces held off the north Vietnamese and Vietcong, it demonstrated that there was no end in sight for the war.

1968 Presidential election Ultimately, growing disapproval for the war led Johnson not to run for re-election in 1968. One viable candidate was then NY senator Robert Kennedy– JFK’s brother. However, after a campaign speech in California, he was assassinated by a Jordanian immigrant. A few months before, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had also been assassinated in Memphis. These assassinations coupled with violence at the Democratic National Convention demonstrated a need for a strong leader in November, 1968.

1968 Presidential election At their national convention, the Republicans chose Richard Nixon as their candidate. He promoted “peace with honor” regarding Vietnam, meaning he intended to remove U.S. troops, but for the peace terms not to discredit the U.S. In another close election, Richard Nixon won the election, beating Democratic candidate Hubert H. Humphrey.

The War’s End and Impact Chapter 25, Section 4