Demands for Peace 1968-1973 Flashcards
In what year was the draft increased?
1965
What was the draft?
The system of conscription into the armed forces
Why did young people protest against the war in Vietnam?
- They saw the Vietnam War as one key strand of older generations’ much wider disillusionment
- Thought the government was out of touch and that the Vietnam War exemplified its abuse of power
Why did young people protest against the draft?
- Exemptions to the draft favoured the wealthy, white, middle-class
How did young people protest?
- Organised sit-ins
- Formed the Draft Resisitance Movement which gave advice on how to avoid conscription
- Burnt draft cards, eg. Muhammad Ali
What was the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)?
Committee originally set up to campaign for equal rights for blacks
When did the SNCC begin to protest against the Vietnam War?
1969
How many draft-dodgers were wanted by the police by the end of 1969?
34,000
How many young men had avoided conscription by the end of 1969?
250,000
Why were the general public opposed to the Vietnam War?
- Increasing numbers of casualties and image of war presented in the media
- Public were outraged and din’t trust the government
- The cost of the war undermined President Johnson’s Great Society programme
How many troops were killed in one week in May 1968?
562
What was the Great Society program?
Anti-poverty program
How much was the war costing the USA?
$20billion
How many protested in Chicago at the Democratic Party convention in August 1968?
10,000
Why were Vietnam veterans opposed to the war?
Argued that the war was not worth the casualties
When was Vietnam Veterans Against the War formed?
1967
How much did casualties increase from 1965 to 1968?
From 2000 to 14,000
How many veterans took part in a protest rally in Washington DC in 1967?
100,000