Opposition To The War Flashcards
What was public oppinion like at the Beggining of the war?
Mostly good
Some anti-war groups spoke out agaisnt it
What was public opinions about the Vietnam war after Johnson escelated it?
The media and public become more concurned about it
Most types of people disagreed with it eg gender, race, religion…
Since when did MLK critisise the war in Vietnam?
From 1965
When did MLK start campaignin for an end to the Vietnam war?
What effect did this have?
From 1967
May have lost support for Civil Rights
What happene on the 2nd November 1965?
Norman Morrison burned hismelf alive outside the Pentagon
What happened “a week” after the 2nd November?
Roger Allan La Porte burned himself outside the UN building in New York
Which Senetor opposed the war?
From when?
Tive an example of how he did this?
Wayne Morse
From before 1965
He gave the only speach in the Senate against the Gulk of Tonkin Resolution
When was the Vietnam Veterans Against the War formed?
1967
What did the Vietnam Veterans Against the War do?
Spoke at demonstaions, held meetings, handed in their medals
Collected evidence about the miscounduct against the war eg mirder of civilians
How could you measure public oppinions?
Opinion Polls
Politicians
Demonstations
What was the most regular types of public polls?
Gallup polls
What did Opinion polls show?
How people thought about a specific issue
It could often show the movement of public feelings of an issue
Who could politions be used to show public opionion?
The way they react - they react to what they think will get them more votes
How could demonstrations show public opinion?
Their size, who took part
Especialy showed people who supported the war through counter-demonstration
What short term factors triggered opposition to the war?
Presidential change
Tet offensive - invasion of Cambodia
Mohammad Ali refused to fight
Student movements - introduction of the draft
Media coverable - seing photos of the war
What long term factors triggered opposition to the war?
Rising death toll
Loss of injury of family member
Cost of the war
Black Panthers said that they wouldn’t fight for a country where they experienced racism every day
In 1950 how many students were there in the US?
2.2 million
In 1965 how many students were there in the US?
5.9 million
In 1970 how many students were there in the US?
8.5 million
Why was there a growing amount of students in the US?
More people wanted to be smarter
They could avoid the draft
Counter-Culture
What was counter-culture?
Refusing to live by the xultural rules of your society
What methods did the Vietnam protesters use?
Liek the Civil Rights protesters
Sit ins, rufusing to go to class, burnign their draft cards, demonstrations
Why did Vietnam protesters get a lot of screen time on the media?
Theu were normally white and were normally of a middle class if they were in school
When was the SDS set up?
1960
What does SDS stand for?
Student for a Democratic Society
How many members did SDS have?
By 1965 - 3000 members
And groups in over 80 colleges
When did the SDS give its first statements against the war?
October 1965
Who did some anti-war protesters support?
North Vietnam and Fidel Castro
What was the draft?
Cumpusery service in the military
How old did you need to be to be drafted?
18
What would happen if you get drafted?
You were sent a draft card telling you where to report
You were given basic training and then sent to war
When was the draft system chainged?
To what?
1969
A draft system
What was the new draft system (lottery)?
All men born between 1944-50 were given a number according to their date of birth - numbers were drawn out and those people would be drafted
During the war how many people could of been drafted?
26 million
How many people served in Vietnam?
2.6 million
How many of the people who served in Vietnam were draftees?
650,000
How many draftees were ther in the military who didn’t go to war?
Another million
How could you avoid the draft?
Being in school Being in the church Some government, farmin gor industry workers were excempt If you could prove it would be hard (economicly or for care) if you went to war (eg i you were the only moneymaker in the family) If you were an only son Phycicly and mentaly unfit CO's Leaving the USA illegaly
What was a CO?
Conscientious objectors - they often had to do other work like making ammunicion in factories
How many CO’s were there?
About 170,000
How mnay people are estimated to have avoided the draft by leaving the US illegaly?
40-50,000
About how many people tried to afoid the draft?
15 million
What was the most popular way to avoid the draft?
School - legal ways
How did Trump avoid the draft?
Not sure - dodgy feet
What was a key feature of the Vietnam war?
It was one of the first war to have massive media coverage
What was the Vietnam War sometimes called?
The living room war
What else would the media cover?
Protests liek the 100,000-strong protest in Washingham 21st October 1967
What was a key feature of the Vietnam war’s media cover?
It became clear to people that the governemnt was lieing to them
Made people not trust the government
Give an example of where the governemnt tried to lie to the public but it was uncovered by the media?
Governement said that the Tet offensive was a sucess
CBS reporter Walter Cronkite said that it wasn’t and that the war was at best a stalemate
When was the My Lai Massacre?
March 1968
Which team when to My Lai?
Charlie Company
What were Charlie Comoany told about My Lai?
Theu would come under VC fire
Who led Charlie Company?
Leuitenent Calley
What happened at My Lai?
Everyone was killed, animals were killed
- Eventualy soldiers said that they were ordered to kill everyone
Photos were taken
Who took photos of the My Lai Massacre?
Sergent Ron Haeberle
What was My Lai also known as?
Pinkville
What happened imediatly after the massacure?
Military announce that it was a sucess
Said they destroyed VC bases and killed 128 VC
Massacure was reported by soldiers and by local chiefs
What did the government/military do with the My Lai Massacure?
Covered it cup and announced 20 accidential civilian deaths
Which soldier is significant in the My Lai Masaacure?
Ron Rindenhour
What did Ron Rindenhour do with the My Lai Massacure?
Collected eyewitness and other evidence about the Massacure
He then sent it to the government in 1969
What did Ron Rindenhour actions lead to?
A new enquiry begining on the 15th July 1970
What happened on the 5th September 1970?
Lieutenant Calley was charged with murder
When was Lieutenant Calley charged with murder?
5th September 1970
When did the public first hear about the My Lai Massacure?
5th September 1970
What happened on the 13th September 1970?
35 different newspapers reported the massacure with an eyewitness that said that 500 civilians had been killed
How many people from the My Lai Massacure faced legal action?
18 officers but Calley was the only one charged
When was Lietenant Calley brought on military trial?
29th March 1971
What was Lietenant Calley charged with in the military trial?
Murder of 22 civilians
Life in prison
What haopened on the 3rd of April 1971?
Nixon promised to refiew the case himself
What was Nixon’s decision on Calley whilst he was reviewing the case?
He said that whilst Calley appeal was heard he should be confined at his US military base
What ended up happening to Calley?
On appeal his sentence was reduced to 20 years
He was released after 3 years and a half year under house arrest on his military base
What does CID stand for?
Criminal Investigations Division
What did the CID find?
347 civilians killed
35 members of Charlie Company should be procecuted
What 2 companies dealed with the investigations of the My Lai Massacure?
CID
The Peers Enquiry
What % of people disagreed with Calleys life sentence?
65%
What % of people thought that soldiers were only following orders at My Lai?
77%
What % of people thought that Calley was being used to take the blame for others?
77%
What % of peopel thought that Nixon’s reaction to Calley’s sentencing was reasonable?
58%
When were the Kent state shootings?
4th May 1970
Where were the Kent State shootings?
Ohio
What was the result of the Kent State shootings
4 dead
9 wounded
2 of the dead were only moving between clases (they wern’t protesting)
When was the Kent State shootings resetive to other events?
4 days after Nixon annoucned the Invasion of Cambodia
What happened on the 1st May (Friday)?
A group of students decided to bury a copy of the US Constitution (one of them also burined his Vietnam discharge papers) in protest
500 people took part in this protest
What happened on the evening of the 1st May?
Fighting between pro and anti war groups
What happened on the 2nd of May (Saturday)?
There were several demonstarions
What happened on the evening of the 2nd May?
The Officer Training Corps builing on campus was burned
The mayor declared an emergency and 900 members of the national guard arrived at Kent State school
By the afternoon of the 2nd of May how many protesters were there?
1000
What happened on the 3rd of March?
Several demonstrations were brocken up by the National Guard with tear gas
What happened on the 4th March?
Officials banned a demonstration planned for 12am
But about 2000 peole ignored the ban
What happened at the banned protest?
Tear gas couldn’t stop it
Students through empty gas cans at the National Guard and then bricks
Then the National Guard fired into the crowed
Where were 2 other students shot?
Jackson State University
What happened at Jackson State University?
2 black students were shot but there was little publicity
Why did the Kent State shootings get so much publicity?
Middle class white people were shot
Not black people
When were the Mississippi murders?
1964
What were people who wwnted an end to the war called?
Doves
Eg in excomm
What were peope who supported the war called?
Hawks
Eg in excomm
How much was Congress told that the Vietnam war would cost?
If the war lasted untill the dummer -$ 10 billion
The reall estimated cost was $20 billion
How did Congress shownoposition to the war?
They set a limit to soending in Vietnam
They set a date for the final withdrawel of US troops from Vietnam
What were the reasons for oposition to the war?
The cost Some politions were pacifists The actual war International relations US politics
What was the cost of the Vietnam war?
$167 billion
How did international relations lead to political oposion to the war?
Possibility of staring war with China or the USSR
Growing oposition from other nations
How did US polotics lead to political oposition to the war?
As public oposition gre politions changed their views so that they would get more votes
The oposition party used it to critisis the president
How did the actual war lead to political oposition to the war?
The war is unwinnable
Limited war won’t deffet the VC
Feeling they were fighting the weong way
They didn’t want more Massacres
Who took the ohotograph of the nacked girl?
Nick Ut
How old was the ohotographer of the nacked girls?
19
What was the name of the girl who was birnes by Napalm so badley that she ripped her clothes off?
Kim
What happened to Kim?
Doctors refused to treat her at first saying that she had no hope
But she survived
