Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

1968: A Tumultuous Year Chapter 22 – Section 4

Similar presentations


Presentation on theme: "1968: A Tumultuous Year Chapter 22 – Section 4"— Presentation transcript:

1 1968: A Tumultuous Year Chapter 22 – Section 4
7:55-11:00

2 Objectives Describe the Tet Offensive and its effect on the American public Explain the domestic turbulence of 1968 Describe the 1968 presidential election

3 Tet Offensive: January 1968
January 30 is the Vietnamese equivalent of New Year’s Eve. It is known as “Tet.” An annual cease-fire was to be recognized by both sides In the week before the holiday, the Vietcong were busy smuggling weapons into South Vietnam via coffins intended for war casualties. An attack on the American military base at Khe San earlier in January was intended to draw the attention of U.S. forces away from the cities. On the night of the 30th a massive attack was carried out by VC in hundreds of towns and villages through South Vietnam. On January 30, approximately 35,000 Vietcong launch simultaneous attacks on South Vietnamese cities and towns, including an attack on the American Embassy in Saigon.

4

5 Effects of Tet The Tet Offensive ended in an overwhelming military defeat for the North Vietnamese Army and Vietcong Vietcong lost about 32,000 soldiers, while combined U.S./ARVN forces lost around 3000. However, Tet was an overwhelming psychological victory for the North The political effect of Tet was fatal - Within weeks, Americans had lost faith in the Johnson administration, and the credibility gap widened. 56% of Americans still supported the war before Tet, only 40% supported it after Tet.

6 Johnson & McNamara

7 Johnson & McNamara

8 Johnson & McNamara

9 U.S. media (Walter Cronkite) openly criticize the war, which is now seen as unwinnable.
LBJ quote: “If I’ve lost Cronkite I’ve lost Middle America.”

10 Johnson & Clark Clifford
Only 4 days after the battle ended, Robert McNamara was forced to resign as Secretary of Defense. He was replaced by Clark Clifford. Clifford on Vietnam: “We seem to have a sinkhole. We put in more– they seem to match it. I see more and more fighting with more and more casualties on the U.S. side and no end in sight to the action.” President Johnson’s popularity plummets

11 Days of Loss and Rage The growing division over Vietnam led Democrats to look for someone to challenge LBJ in the 1968 primary. Thus, an antiwar coalition builds within the Democratic Party Originally, Robert Kennedy is asked to run but doesn’t, citing party loyalty Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy runs as an antiwar candidate, and loses the New Hampshire primary election by only 6 % points. Shortly after the New Hampshire primary, Robert Kennedy entered the race to challenge LBJ. In March, 1968, LBJ announced to the nation that he would not seek reelection

12 Violence and Protest April 4, Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in Memphis (he was there to support a sanitation workers strike. Assassin- James Earl Ray Aftermath- 100 U.S. cities explode in violence, rioting, looting

13 Bobby Kennedy With LBJ refusing to accept the nomination of the Democratic Party, it looked as if Robert Kennedy – RFK – would go on to win the nomination. June 4, Robert Kennedy wins the California Democratic Primary- becomes the Democratic frontrunner for president.

14 Bobby Kennedy

15 The Death of RFK June 5, 1968 (after midnight) RFK is assassinated.
Assassin- Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian upset with RFK’s support of Israel

16 RFK Assassination Facts…
At the time, the government provided Secret Service protection for incumbent presidents but not for presidential candidates. Kennedy's only security was provided by former FBI agent William Barry and two unofficial bodyguards, former professional After Kennedy had fallen to the floor, Barry saw Sirhan holding a gun and hit him twice in the face while others, including maîtres d' Uecker and Edward Minasian, writer George Plimpton, Olympic gold medal decathlete Rafer Johnson and former professional football player Rosey Grier of the Los Angeles Rams, forced Sirhan against the steam table and disarmed him as he continued firing his gun in random directions. Five other people were also wounded: William Weisel of ABC News, Paul Schrade of the United Auto Workers union, Democratic Party activist Elizabeth Evans, Ira Goldstein of the Continental News Service and Kennedy campaign volunteer Irwin Stroll. After a minute, Sirhan wrestled free and grabbed the revolver again, but he had already fired all the bullets and was subdued. As Kennedy lay wounded, Juan Romero cradled the senator's head and placed a rosary in his hand. Kennedy asked Romero, "Is everybody OK?" and Romero responded, "Yes, everybody's OK." Kennedy then turned away from Romero and said, "Everything's going to be OK.” Kennedy had been shot three times. One bullet, fired at a range of about 1 inch (2.5 cm), entered behind his right ear, dispersing fragments throughout his brain. The other two entered at the rear of his right armpit; one exited from his chest and the other lodged in the back of his neck. Despite extensive neurosurgery at the Good Samaritan Hospital to remove the bullet and bone fragments from his brain, Kennedy died at 1:44 A.M. PDT on June 6, nearly 26 hours after the shooting Sirhan Sirhan is a Palestinian Arab with Jordanian citizenship, born in Jerusalem, who held strongly anti-Zionist beliefs. After a two-month trial, Sirhan was convicted of Robert Kennedy's murder on April 17, 1969, and six days later, he was sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to life in prison in Since that time, Sirhan has been denied parole fifteen times and is currently confined at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in southern San Diego County.

17 Martin Luther King- Shot and killed April 4, 1968 Bobby Kennedy – Shot June 5; died June 6 1968

18 Turmoil in Chicago The Chaos of 1968 climaxed in August at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. With LBJ & RFK out of the race, the nomination came down to Hubert Humphrey – a pro war candidate – and Eugene McCarthy – a pro peace candidate (though now, half-heartedly, since RFK’s assassination) Nomination of Humphrey was predetermined, upsetting many of the antiwar activists

19 McCarthy & Humphrey

20 Dirty Politics Although McCarthy was still popular with the nation’s anti-war population, he had little chance of defeating Humphrey, a loyal party man who had the support of LBJ. 10,000 antiwar activists descend on Chicago planning to disrupt and discredit the Democratic Party. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley prepares with 12,000 police officers and 5,000 National Guardsmen, vowing law and order will be maintained. Protestors clash with police- all captured on national television

21 1968 Chicago Convention

22

23

24 Disorder for the Democrats leads to Republican Victory
Richard Nixon makes a political comeback -lost the 1960 presidential election (to JFK) -lost the 1962 California governor race Nixon announces he will run for president Nixon promises to restore “law and order” Makes vague promises to get U.S. out of Vietnam (He has a secret plan) George Wallace runs as an independent candidate (pro-segregation platform) and splits the Democratic vote, leading to Nixon’s win

25 Election of 1968 As a result of Democratic division, Republicans easily won the election. Richard Nixon – the Republican candidate became the next president. Third party candidate George Wallace finished a distant third.

26

27 Richard M. Nixon now inherits the Vietnam War


Download ppt "1968: A Tumultuous Year Chapter 22 – Section 4"

Similar presentations


Ads by Google