1. Nixon and Vietnam

2. Nixon and Vietnam 1968—Richard Nixon elected President
Elected as the “peace candidate”
Promised “Vietnamization” of the War
Continuing to fund South Vietnam
But leaving most fighting to Vietnamese
By 1972, only 60,000 US troops left
But…..

3. Cambodia Neighbor of Vietnam Had been peaceful
Nixon claimed that Vietcong trained there
1969—”secret bombings” of Cambodia begin
1970—full scale invasion
Result: War spreads, Cambodia dissolves

4. Cambodia Peaceful country collapses after US attack
Pol Pot & the Khmer Rouge take control in 1975
Genocide kills millions
The “Killing Fields”
Pol Pot

5. Anti-War Movement in Nixon Years
Invasion of Cambodia spurs mass protest
300,000 attend DC protest in 1970
Jackson State and Kent State Universities
Student protesters killed by National Guard
Congress Revokes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1970
Pentagon Papers Published in 1971
Proof that US Government was lying about Vietnam

6. Anti War Protests

7. Kent State Massacre, (May 4, 1970)
4 protesting students killed by National Guard
Most Americans supported the Soldiers
The War was unpopular, but the anti-war movement was even more unpopular
Riots and protests spread to other campuses
Many shut down

8. Kent State

9. NYU Students After Kent & Jackson State

10. Jackson State Massacre, (May 14, 1970)
2 students killed by National Guard amidst a protest
Poorly reported & mostly forgotten
These were black students
Phillip Gibbs James Green

11. US Soldiers in Vietnam Disproportionately poor and minority
Viscous, terrifying fighting
Declining morale
1 in 6 go AWOL in 1971
89,000 deserters in 1971
“Why are we here?”

13. Public Opinion and the War
By 1964—little opposition
By 1967—lots of student opposition
By 1970—majority of population opposed
Especially among working class
Their sons were dying

14. Final Stages November, 1972 December of 1972 January 1973 April 1975
Nixon wins landslide reelection
Claims to have “secret peace plan”
December of 1972
Christmas bombings
Most massive attack on N. Vietnam
Still no surrender
January 1973
US withdraws after cease fire
April 1975
North Vietnam conquers South Vietnam

15. The Fall of Saigon, 1975

16. Results of the Vietnam War
Vietnam unified under communist control
US loses
2,000,000 Vietnamese deaths?
55,000 American deaths
Vietnamese society & economy destroyed
Destruction of Cambodia
$150 billion cost to US
Hurts economy & kills the “Great Society”
Humiliation for US

17. “North Vietnam’s leaders had deserved to win
“North Vietnam’s leaders had deserved to win. South Vietnam’s leaders had deserved to lose. And America’s leaders, for thirty years, had failed the people of the North, the people of the South, and the people of the United States.”
--The final paragraph of A.J. Langguth’s
“Our Vietnam”