Today’s Objective
We will analyze the major issues and events of
the Vietnam War – such as the Vietnamization
and the Fall of Saigon.
Sub-Objective
We will describe responses to the Vietnam War, such as 26th
Amendment and the silent majority.
The Anti-War Movement
• Media’s Role in the War
The media – especially TV – turned many people against the war
For the first time, the American public saw images of war
• Free Speech Movement
Movement that started over the right to pass out anti-war literature;
Ignited anti-war protests on college campuses across the nation
• The Draft
Many people burned draft cards or dodged the draft; many thought that
the draft discriminated against the poor and minorities
• My Lai Massacre
Massacre when U.S. soldiers killed a whole village of people
The event became public and turned public opinion against the war
• Tinker v. Des Moines
Case in which three school students were suspended for wearing
peace symbols; Supreme Court ruled that they had the right under
The Vietnam War
under Nixon
SEs: 2B, 8D, 8E, 8F, 20A, 21A
State Standards
8F (r)
Describe the responses to the Vietnam War such as the
draft, the 26th Amendment, the role of the media, the
credibility gap, the silent majority, and the anti-war
movement.
20A (s)
Describe the impact of events such as the Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution and the War Powers Act on the relationship
between the legislative and executive branches of
government.
8E (s)
Analyze the major issues and events of the Vietnam War
such as the Tet Offensive, the escalation of forces,
Vietnamization, and the fall of Saigon.
26F (s)
Discuss the importance of congressional Medal of Honor
recipients, including individuals of all races and genders
such as Vernon J Baker, Alvin York, and Roy Benavidez.
LBJ Drops Out of Race
President Johnson refuses to run for reelection in the Election of 1968
"I shall not seek, nor will I accept, the nomination of my party
for another term as your President." March 31, 1968
Election of 1968
At the Democratic Convention in Chicago in
1968, Democrats choose vice-president Hubert
Humphrey as their candidate.
Election of 1968
But the biggest news at the convention was the
rioting that went on outside. In an effort to maintain
order, Chicago police beat hundreds of protestors.
Election of 1968
The Republicans nominate former vicepresident Richard Nixon as their candidate.
Election of 1968
While running for President, Richard Nixon
makes a campaign promise to get the United
States out of the Vietnam War if he’s elected.
Election of 1968
Nixon becomes
president!
Vietnamization
During his administration, President Nixon and
his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger,
developed a policy known as Vietnamization.
Vietnamization
Vietnamization called for a gradual withdrawal
of American troops as South Vietnamese took
more control of the war.
Vietnamization
At the same time, Nixon increased American
bombing of North Vietnam and provided
military aid to the South Vietnamese.
The Silent Majority
Term coined by Nixon to represent Americans
that were overshadowed by Vietnam war
protestors, the counterculture (hippies), and by
the more vocal minority in the media.
Nixon Invades Cambodia
In April of 1970, President Nixon announced that
American troops had invaded Cambodia.
Nixon Invades Cambodia
Anti-war protestors saw this as an
escalation of the war, sparking violent
protests on college campuses.
Kent State Massacre
May 4, 1970
At Kent State University, violent protests led to
martial law being declared in the town and the
Ohio National Guard was called in to keep peace.
Kent State Massacre
May 4, 1970
A confrontation between anti-war protestors
and soldiers led to gunfire, and four student
demonstrators ended up dead.
Voting Age Debate
During World War II, the average age of a U.S.
soldier was 26; during the Vietnam War, the
average age of U.S. soldier was 19.
th
26 Amendment
Many young Americans were upset that even
though they were old enough to fight and die in
a war, they were not old enough to vote.
th
26 Amendment ratified
The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was
ratified in 1971, lowering the legal voting age in
the United States from 21 to 18.
Vietnam War Heroes
It was during the Tet Offensive that Roy Benavidez
of Texas saved the lives of eight men in his own
platoon by carrying them to safety while he himself
was critically injured and under enemy fire.
Vietnam War Heroes
For his bravery and heroism, Benavidez was
eventually awarded the Congressional Medal of
Honor by President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
War Powers Act (1973)
Law was an attempt to set
limits on the power of the
president during wartime
Required the
president to inform
Congress of any
commitment of
troops with 48 hours
U.S. pulls out of Vietnam
In January of 1973, North and South Vietnamese reach
a cease-fire agreement; by 1975, the United States
withdraws all of its troops from Vietnam.
The Fall of Saigon
In 1975, the North Vietnamese break the truce and
over-run South Vietnam. Americans and many South
Vietnamese flee the capital of Saigon in panic.
The Pentagon Papers
In 1971, a former Defense Department worker
named Daniel Ellsberg leaked what were known
as the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times.
The Pentagon Papers
The documents showed how LBJ, Nixon and other
leaders of the government had deceived the
American public about how the war was going.
Independent Practice
Create a bubble map identifying and
describing key elements of the Vietnam War
during the presidency of Richard Nixon.
Today’s Product
I will write a paragraph describing three major
events that led to the end of the Vietnam War.