1. Protests Against the Vietnam War
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Protests Against the Vietnam War
The tide begins to turn 1

2. Why did people turn against the war?
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Why did people turn against the war?
As the war in Vietnam went on, more and more people began to turn against it.
The media was one factor in this, but not the only one.
Violent scenes on the news were shocking but fairly rare – less than 25% of news reports showed dead or wounded soldiers.
Some argue that the media actually reflected people’s views instead of shaping them.
By the late 1960s many Americans were tired of the war and the high casualty rate.
This, along with the media, led to more and more people joining protests.

3. Why did people turn against the war?
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Why did people turn against the war?
Remember President Johnson’s ‘Great Society’?
He’d promised better living standards and health care for Americans.
However his plans were undermined by the Vietnam War.
The war cost huge amounts of money, meaning there was less available to challenge poverty in the USA.
This frustrated many Americans.

4. Wednesday, 23 May 2018
How did People Protest?
As the 1960s wore on, more and more people began to protest about the Vietnam War.
Think and then discuss:
Who would have been most likely to have protested against the war?
How could they have protested against it?

5. Wednesday, 23 May 2018
‘Draft Dodgers’
The ‘draft’ is conscription or the call up to go to war.
In 1965 the US government increased the number of young men drafted to fight in Vietnam from 17,000 to 35,000 per month.
The first to oppose the war were draft dodgers – young men who refused to go to fight in a war they believed was wrong.
In 1964 the first ‘draft card burning’ took place – young men publically burned their call up cards in open protest about the war. 5

6. Wednesday, 23 May 2018
‘Draft Dodgers’
"Why should I drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?" 1967 press conference
Many ‘draft dodgers’ faced jail instead of going to fight.
There was greater chance of poorer people being drafted – richer young people could exploit loopholes more easily such as going back to college or claiming they were disabled. Some draft dodgers simply left the country.
It was also more likely that black Americans would be drafted…they were poorer.
The most high profile case of draft dodging was the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mohammed Ali who went to jail and lost his title. 6

7. What is the message of this protester?
Race and Opposition
What is the message of this protester?

8. Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Protest Songs
These protests can also be seen in the wider context of the hippy movement of the 60s/70s which amongst many other things advocated peace.
At university campuses and events such as the Woodstock Rock festival, protests became widespread. 8

9. Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men, Uncle Sam needs your help again. He's got himself in a terrible jam Way down yonder in Vietnam So put down your books and pick up a gun, We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.
And it's one, two, three, What are we fighting for? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam; And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopee! we're all gonna die.
Well, come on generals, let's move fast; Your big chance has come at last. Gotta go out and get those reds — The only good commie is the one who's dead And you know that peace can only be won When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come.
And it's one, two, three, What are we fighting for ? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam; And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why Whoopee! we're all gonna die.
Well, come on Wall Street, don't move slow, Why man, this is war au-go-go. There's plenty good money to be made By supplying the Army with the tools of the trade, Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb, They drop it on the Viet Cong.
And it's one, two, three, What are we fighting for ? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam. And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why Whoopee! we're all gonna die.
Well, come on mothers throughout the land, Pack your boys off to Vietnam. Come on fathers, don't hesitate, Send 'em off before it's too late. Be the first one on your block To have your boy come home in a box.
And it's one, two, three What are we fighting for ? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam. And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopee! we're all gonna die. 9

10. Click to hear other protests...
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Protest Songs
Click to hear other protests...
War, it ain't nothing but a heartbreaker War, it's got one friend That's the undertaker Ooooh, war, has shattered Many a young mans dreams
Give peace a chance...
There's battle lines being drawn Nobody's right if everybody's wrong Young people speaking their minds Getting so much resistance from behind
Protest songs also link to the media – they would be played on the radio, encouraging their popularity.
And of course the classic Hippy anthem… Imagine 10

11. Anti-War Protests 1969 – a protest in Central Park, New York.
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Anti-War Protests
1969 – a protest in Central Park, New York.
Protestors released black and white balloons.
The black balloons represented the number of US soldiers who had died in Vietnam.
The white balloons represented the number who would die if the war continued. 11

12. Veterans against the War
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Veterans against the War
By the late 1960s many returning soldiers (Veterans) were also beginning to protest.
In 1967 ‘Veterans against the War’ was formed as a protest movement.
Veterans threw back their medals and spoke out against the war.
In 1971 over 300,000 took part in a march on Washington. 12

13. Wednesday, 23 May 2018
University Protests
In the late 1960s American universities became hotbeds of protest.
Many students were ideologically opposed to the war.
They also had a practical opposition – many young students refused the draft.
On some occasions the government sent in the National Guard to restore order.
The students responded by offering flowers to the soldiers...
In 1970 at Kent State University a terrible outcry occurred which gripped the nations attention – this will be investigated as a detailed case study in your next lesson. 13

14. A time line of Key Protests
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
1964 – First draft dodgers burn their cards – following increase of draft to 35,000 men. This continued throughout the 60s.
1965 – Students for a Democratic Society - 25,000 participate in major anti-war protest at Washington. In the same year, Norman Morrison sets himself alight in protest to the war.
1968 – 10,000 protest in Chicago and in November, 35,000 protest in Washington. A mixture of students, hippies and War Veterans.
1969 – 500,000 attend the Woodstock festival – seen to be a significant anti-war festival.
1970 – Kent State University protest – details to follow.
1971 – 300,000 protest in Washington – again a combination of students, hippies, draft dodgers and war veterans. Many throw their medals back and thousands are arrested. There were many more protests in the 1970s against the war – fuelled by the media.

15. Protest Movements – Key notes
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Students were some of the first people to protest against the Vietnam War – SDS formed in 1965.
They wore badges, wrote anti-war songs and organised protest marches.
500,000 were at the 1969 Woodstock rock festival , where Country Joe McDonald and others performed.
The Kent State University shootings in 1970 turned many more against the War.
By the late 1960s many servicemen were returning from Vietnam and also started to protest.
In 1967 they formed ‘Veterans against the War’.
The ‘Draft’ is the American term for conscription – being forced to join the armed forces.
Draft Dodgers
Vietnam
Veterans
Students/
Hippies
Media
Coverage
By 1965 the number of men getting ‘the Draft’ rose from 17,000 to 35,000 per month.
Many started to refuse the draft and attended open ‘draft card burnings’ to publically protest against the War.
High profile people such as heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali refused the draft and went to jail.
In ,000 veterans marched to Washington to demand an end to the War.
Key Point
Without media coverage of ‘the first televised war’ the protests might not have been so widespread and public opinion would not have turned against the war so quickly.