Opposition to the Vietnam War Flashcards
What were the 7 reasons why there was opposition towards the war?
The US wasn't winning US Politicians Lack of support for the South Vietnamese government The Civil Rights Movement The 'draft' system Casualties Media Coverage
Why was the US Politicians a reason why there was opposition towards the war?
A huge amount of money was being spent on the war. Some people argued that more money should be spent on domestic issues such as housing, education, healthcare
Why was the lack of support for the South Vietnamese government a reason why there was opposition towards the war?
Many Americans felt that the South Vietnamese government was corrupt and brutal
Why was the Civil Rights Movement a reason why there was opposition towards the war?
Civil rights leaders spoke out against the war. They highlighted racial inequality in the army
Why was the ‘draft’ system a reason why there was opposition towards the war?
Nearly 2,000,000 men joined the war between 1964 and 1972 as a result of the draft system
There was lots of hatred towards this system and many young people questioned if the human loss was worth it
Why was the casualties a reason why there was opposition towards the war?
Around 300 US soldiers were dying each week
Average age of a soldier killed was just 23
There was huge shock as a result of these figures
Why was the media coverage a reason why there was opposition towards the war?
Images and stories of civilian casualties, poor discipline and drug-taking in the army were widely reported on the TV and in newspapers
Who was opposition to the war extremely strong with?
College and University students
What did the war symbolise to the college and university students?
Control and authority by the government - they wanted to rebel against this
What was the largest anti-war protest in US history?
The protest in Washington DC on 15th November 1969, when 500,000 people demonstrated
What events happened on Thursday 30th April 1970?
President Nixon announced the US invasion of Cambodia
Protests took place outside many colleges and universities
Students at Kent State University arranged a protest for Monday 4th May 1970
What happened on the weekend of the 2nd-3rd May 1970?
Clashes took place between protestors and local police around the university and the local town
The Mayor of Kent asked for help, so 1000 Ohio National Guardsmen were sent
What happened on Monday 4th May 1970?
Around 3000 people gathered at the Kent State University - 1500 demonstrations and a further 1500 bystanders
What happened as a result of the demonstrations at Kent State University?
The demonstrations turned violent, with rocks being thrown and tear gas fired by the National Guardsmen
National Guardsmen shot 4 students and injured 8 others
In total they shot between 61 and 67 bullets
What were the consequences of the Kent State University shootings?
News of the shooting shocked the nation
Across the US, universities and colleges closed as 2,000,000 students refused to attend classes
8 of the guardsmen were arrested, but were then released due to lack of evidence
By 1961, how many households in America had a TV?
93%
What 3 new technologies were used in reporting the Vietnam War?
Lightweight video cameras and voice recorders made news reporting easier
No government censorship on stories
The full-colour horror of the war could quickly appear on TVs
How was the media reflecting on the war at the beginning?
Media coverage was positive, focusing on the brave, skilful US troops
The Americans were the ‘good guys’ fighting against the Vietcong ‘bad guys’
How was the media and the TET Offensive a turning point in the war?
Until the TET Offensive, the US government had been promising that the war was going well. Now, once the media had reported it, it caused the public to disagree?
What 4 impacts did the media have after the TET Offensive?
Shocked Americans who had no idea how brutal the fighting was
Caused the public to question how much they could trust the government
Showed the Vietcong could attack with great force
Made some people question whether they should be involved in the war
Who was Walter Cronkite?
America’s best known newsreader at the time
He was called the ‘most trusted man in America’
In a February 1968 news report, he stated that he thought the war was going to end in stalemate
When President Johnson heard this, he said that if he’d lost Cronkite, he’d lost America
How did the New York Times influence public opinions?
In June 1971, the newspaper published leaked secret reports
These confirmed the suspicions that the US government had been lying about the involvement in the war
How did Life Magazine influence public opinions?
They published a shocking article with the names and faces of 242 US troops who had been killed in a week
Seeing all the handsome young men, now all dead, shocked people even more
How did stories about the poor morale and behaviour of the troops influence public opinion?
The coverage of the My Lai Massacre damaged the image of the US troops
An investigation revealed that Charlie Company had killed 500 innocent civilians
The army’s attempted cover-up led to many of the public distrusting the government and the army