1968: A Year of Crises
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Transcript of 1968: A Year of Crises
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1968: A Year of Crises
Section 20.2
Vietnamese soldier shoots civilian at point-blank range
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Tet
Capture from clip on the Tet Offensive
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Describe the Tet Offensive and its effect on the US military.
• Massive military offensive of NVA in 1968 (New Years Day or Tet)– General Westmoreland
had claimed US winning– US ultimately won
• 33-40 thousand Vietcong killed
• Turning point of the war– Nowhere was safe– LBJ’s credibility in
doubt
Above: map shows invasion route of NVA; below: GI’s try to stand their ground
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Capture from clip on political consequences of Tet
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Why is Tet considered a ‘turning point’ in the war?
Anti-war demonstration on the mall in DC
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Why is Tet considered a ‘turning point’ in the war?
• Contradicted rosy picture portrayed by Westmoreland
• Media began to challenge LBJ’s account of the war– “What the hell is going
on?” Walter Cronkite– Brutality of war on nightly
news• LBJ approval rating
collapsed– On war- 48% to 26%– “Hey, hey, LBJ. How many
kids did you kill today?”
Above: reprise of point-blank assassination of civilian; below: anti-war demonstrators
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Anti-War Protesters Capture from clip about the protests
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This is LBJ following the Tet Offensive in 1968.
• Write a newspaper headline for this picture of LBJ after the Tet Offensive.
• In subtitle, make a prediction about his political future.
“Loss of heart and mind”
-Johnson tells stunned nation he will not run for re-election
LBJ slumped at desk in White House, head in hand
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Why did LBJ decide not to run for president in 1968?
• Beaten by Eugene McCarthy in New Hampshire primary election– Anti war platform– “Be clean for Gene”
• NY senator Robert F. Kennedy entered presidential race– Supported by antiwar, poor,
working class, minorities• LBJ told that additional troops
would not help win war• “I shall not seek and I will not
accept the nomination of my party as your president.”
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Why is 1968 considered such a tragic year?• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
– Came out against the war (against LBJ)
– Spoke against America’s flaws (racism, poverty, militarism, materialism)
– Assassinated 4/4/68 in Memphis
• RFK– Came out against the war– Promised to address racism,
poverty, and end war)– Won California primary
(frontrunner)– Assassinated in June of ’68
by Sirhan Sirhan
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Capture from clip on RFK assassination
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Democratic Convention Violence
Demonstrators in Chicago being roughed up by police
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Describe the Democratic Convention of 1968 in Chicago:
• Hubert Humphrey seemed likely to beat Eugene McCarthy for nomination– publicly supported LBJ’s Vietnam
policies• 10 thousand protesters gathered to
pressure Democrats to adopt anti-war policy
• Mayor Richard Daley– Directed 17 thousand police and
national guard to put down any disruptions
• Riots broadcast on TV– “The Whole World is watching!”
• Democrats associated with violence and disorder
Above: Humphrey and Johnson meet; below: more demonstrations
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Capture from clip on the chaos in Chicago (Democrats’ convention)
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Describe the Republican campaign:• Nominated Richard
Nixon
• Convention not marred by disorder
• Promised:
– law and order
– An end to wasteful spending (Great Society)
– To end war
• “peace with honor”
Above: Nixon and Agnew on Time cover; below: Nixon’s trademark salute
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Who was the third party candidate?• George Wallace: American Independent
Party• Alabama governor (Democrat)• “segregation now,…tomorrow,…forever.”• Campaigned:
– Anti-Establishment– Anti-Counterculture – Pro-union, blue collar worker– Pro-War in Vietnam
• Said if anti-war demonstrator laid down in front of his car, it would be the last car he….
– Lost popularity when he chose Curtis LeMay as running mate
• LeMay supported using nuclear weapons against Vietnam
• “back to the stone age”Top: Wallace with clenched fist; above:
Wallace on time with running-mate
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Who won and what did it mean?• Nixon beat Humphrey
by less than 1%
• Signaled that America was becoming more conservative
• Civil rights and Vietnam broke up FDR’s coalition (Southerners, minorities, liberals)
Below: Nixon exults after win