1. 1968
CHAPTER 30, SECTION 4

2. VOCABULARY TET OFFENSIVE CLARK CLIFFORD ROBERT F. KENNEDY
EUGENE McCARTHY
HUBERT HUMPHREY
GEORGE WALLACE

3. IMPORTANT DATES 1968: JANUARY: THE TET OFFENSIVE
MARCH: LBJ ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION
APRIL: MLK ASSASSINATED
JUNE: RFK ASSASSINATED
AUGUST: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION RIOTS IN CHICAGO
NOVEMBER: NIXON ELECTED PRESIDENT

4. A TUMULTUOUS YEAR JAN., ’68: THE TET OFFENSIVE BEGINS EFFECT?
MASSIVE ASSAULT BY COMMUNIST FORCES ON US/ARVN FORCES
100 CITIES/TOWNS IN S-VNAM ATTACKED
WORST FIGHTING:
SAIGON – U.S. EMBASSY OVERRUN BY VC
HUE CITY
OFFENSIVE LASTS 1 MONTH
RESULTS:
VC LOSSES: 32,000 KIA
US/ARVN LOSSES: 3,000
EFFECT?
US/ARNV CLAIM MAJOR VICTORY
TET WAS SHOCK TO AMERICAN PUBLIC: WHY?
LBJ/Mc NAMARA HAD STATED WAR WAS NEARLY WON
SO…LBJ’s CREDIBILITY GAP GROWS

5. Major NVA/VC Assaults,
1968 Tet Offensive, Vietnam

6. U.S. Marines, Hue City, January, 1968

7. CHANGES IN PUBLIC OPINION
TET’s EFFECT ON PUBLIC OPINION:
TET CHANGES U.S. PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT THE WAR:
EXAMPLE; MEDIA POLL BEOFRE TET:
28% DOVES
56% HAWKS
POLL AFTER TET:
40% DOVES
40% HAWKS
MEDIA OPENLY CRITICIZES THE WAR:
EXAMPLE: CBS NEWS ANCHOR WALTER CRONKITE CRITICIZES THE WAR
GOV’T. OFFICIALS QUESTION THE WAR:
EXAMPLE: CLARK CLIFFORD, SEC. OF DEFENSE, BELIEVES WAR IS UNWINNABLE
FEBRUARY, ’68 MEDIA POLL:
60% DISAPPROVE OF LBJ’s HANDLING OF WAR
50% FELT U.S INVOLVEMENT IN V-NAM HAD BEEN A MISTAKE

8. WALTER CRONKITE, CBS NEWS

9. MOVING TOWARDS ELECTION
MARCH, ’68:
LBJ MAKES TELEVISED SPEECH TO NATION
ANNOUNCES HE WILL BEGIN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS TO END WAR
U.S. ESCALATION OF WAR WOULD END
BOMBING OF N-VNAM WOULD BE REDUCED
WILL FORCE S-VNAM TO TAKE LARGER ROLE IN FIGHTING
LBJ ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN ’68

10. DEMOCRATS & 1968
LBJ’s ANNOUNCEMENT OF WITHDRAWAL FROM ’68 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: WHO’S RUNNING?
SEN. EUGENE McCARTHY, D-MINN.
SEN. RFK, D-N.Y.
VP HUBERT HUMPHREY
WHO SUPPORTS EACH CANDIDATE?
McCARTHY: FAR LEFT
RFK: MINORITIES, POOR
HUMPHREY: REMAINING DEMOS., LBJ SUPPORTERS
OTHER EVENTS:
APRIL: MLK ASSASSINATED IN MEMPHIS, TN.
JUNE: RFK ASSASSINATED IN L.A.

11. 1968 Democratic Candidates
Eugene McCarthy RFK Hubert Humphrey

12. CHICAGO AUGUST, ’68: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION PROBLEM? RESULTS?
LEFT-WING GROUPS TARGETED CONVENTION FOR MASSIVE PROTESTS
WHO?
SDS
“YIPPIES”
MAYOR RICHARD J. DALY VOWED TO KEEP ORDER IN CHICAGO
VIOLENCE BETWEEN PROTESTERS, POLICE, & NATIONAL GUARD
RESULTS?
HUNDREDS INJURED, ARRESTED
PUBLIC IMAGE OF DEMOCRATIV PARTY IS DAMAGED
HUBERT HUMPHREY GETS PARTY NOMINATION FOR PRES.
REPUBLICANS ARE STRENGTHENED BY DEMOS. BAD PUBLIC IMAGE

13. CHICAGO MAYOR RICHARD J. DALY

15. ELECTION OF 1968 WHO RUNS? KEY ISSUES: RESULTS: NIXON WINS SO WHAT?
DEMOCRAT: HUBERT HUMPHREY
REPUBLICAN: RICHARD M. NIXON
AMERICAN INDEPENDENT: GEORGE WALLACE
KEY ISSUES:
VIETNAM
RACE RELATIONS
GOV’T CREDIBILITY – “THE CREDIBILITY GAP”
RESULTS: NIXON WINS
NIXON: 301 ELECTORAL VOTES
HUMPHREY: 191 ELECTORAL VOTES
WALLACE: 46 ELECTORAL VOTES***
***WALLACE TOOK WORKING CLASS WHITE VOTES IN NORTH AWAY FROM HUMPHREY DUE TO RACE ISSUES
SO WHAT?
REPUBLICANS IN POWER FOR FIRST TIME SINCE EISENHOWER

16. RICHARD M. NIXON, PRESIDENT OF U.S., 1968-74