1. Vietnam War Protests and the End of the War

2. Vietnam Protests

3. Students for a Democratic Society
Created by students at University of Michigan
Wanted major changes to end problems of war and racism
Led 1st national anti-war demonstration

4. Resisting the Draft
Deferments: postponements of service due to health, occupation, and college
Higher income people less likely to serve (No, Mr. Green would not have had to)
Led to rise in college enrollment
Draft Dodgers: people who were drafted but refused to fight

5. Lottery
Drafted men by birth date – men chosen randomly

6. Hawks vs. Doves
Doves – supported the withdrawal of troops and questioned the war
Hawks – Support war

7. The Election of 1968
LBJ announces he will not seek re-election for president
Democratic candidates
Hubert Humphrey
Eugene McCarthy
Robert Kennedy

8. Election of 1968 What happened to Robert Kennedy?
Shot & killed by Sirhan Sirhan
Who wins the nomination?
Hubert Humphrey

10. Election of 1968
Republican Candidate: Richard Nixon – end the war “honorably”
Independent Candidate: George C. Wallace; The “great governor from the state of Alabama”

11. Won easily in electoral vote Popular vote was very close
Election of 1968
Who wins the election?
Richard Nixon
Won easily in electoral vote
Popular vote was very close

14. Why? - Silent Majority
“Middle America” who disapproved of the anti-war protestors and supported the Vietnam War
This group would become what was known as the “New Right” who would be largely responsible for the conservative movement in the 1980s

15. “Peace with Honor”
Pledged to increase troops initially; pull troops out little by little over the next few years
1969: 540,000 troops
1972: 24,000 troops
Vietnamization: Turning over more of the fighting in Vietnam to the South Vietnamese while gradually bringing troops home

17. Laos and Cambodia
Nixon secretly ordered bombing campaigns and sent troops into both of these countries in 1969 and 1970
“I want the North Vietnamese to believe that I’ve reached the point where I might do anything to stop the war”

19. Kent State Shootings – May 4, 1970

20. 4 killed, 9 injured

23. Credibility Gap Widens
America learns of My Lai Massacre in 1969
1971 the Pentagon Papers were leaked to the New York Times
Secret government documents about the war which proved government was misleading Americans about the war

26. 1972 Election Despite anti-war protestors, Nixon able to beat…
George McGovern
Received almost 18 million more popular votes than McGovern—the widest margin of any U.S. presidential election

28. Watergate Scandal
Jun 17, 1972 Five men broke into offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel Office Complex in D.C.
Installing or repairing advanced eavesdropping equipment and had cameras taking photographs of contents of filing cabinets

30. Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP)
Pulled off many “Dirty Tricks” for Nixon while in office
Wire-Tap Devices in the Oval Office recorded every conversation
Ever since the Pentagon Papers were leaked, Nixon put into place the Plumbers to plug these leaks

33. The Washington Post Why was Nixon involved???
Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein were the investigative reporters in charge of investigating Watergate
Deep Throat (Mark Felt)
Secret informant who provided the journalists with info. that Nixon was directly involved
Why was Nixon involved???
Paranoid about losing the election
Congress starts the investigation – what do they want as evidence?

35. Nixon’s last days Three articles of impeachment (what is it?)
Obstructing the Watergate investigation
Misuse of power and violating his oath of office
Failure to comply with House subpoenas

36. Impeachment Process House impeaches (charges with a formal accusation)
Senate decides guilt or innocence

38. “Always give your best, never get discouraged, never get petty; always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.”
-Richard Nixon August 8, 1974

39. Nixon’s Last Days Gerald Ford takes over as President
Pardons Nixon and several others involved

40. The War Ends 1973: Paris Peace Accords
Removal of all U.S. troops and military advisers but allowed North to remain in place

41. Both sides agreed to return P.O.W.s including over 600 Americans
North and South would remain split and this meant that U.S. could withdraw keeping its promise of not allowing Communism to spread – aka the Domino Theory

44. The Legacy of Vietnam
1975 North Vietnam launched New offensive in the South; last workers at embassy are pulled out in 1975 (South falls in just 5 months)

47. Vietnam by the Numbers
58,000 Americans dead, 303,000 wounded, and 2,500 missing
Over 1,000,000 NVA and Vietcong were dead
8 million tons of bombs in the region – contaminated food & water supplies

49. Effects on Veterans
Large number paralyzed & disabled returned home because of advanced medical conditions
Lieutenant Dan from Forest Gump
Veterans were targets of anger or shame, verbal abuse, and even of people spitting on them
Also, they suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

50. Political Impact Cost More than $150 Billion
26th Amendment – 18 yr. olds vote
Wars Powers Act 1973: Sets a 60-day limit on the presidential commitment of U.S. troops to foreign conflicts without specific Congressional authorization or declaration of war
Distrust of Government

54. Detente Ease tensions with Cold War enemies
SALT I: agreement to slow the building of offensive weapons
“Just easin’ the tensions baby.
Just easin’ the tensions”

55. Ping Pong Diplomacy

56. Nixon visits Chinese leader Mao Zedong

57. Other Foreign Policies
Realpolitik
Base foreign policies on national interest