Public opinion and Vietnam Flashcards
Which event marked the decline of public opinion for the Vietnam war?
The Tet Offensive
What happened in the Tet Offensive?
- 30 American targets and dozens of South Vietnam cities were attacked.
- None of the attacks were successful, but the media questioned why it had been so easy for the Viet Cong to take over these bases
How many fighters did the Viet Cong lose in the Tet Offensive?
10,000 experienced fighters
What was journalist Walter Cronkite’s response to the Tet Offensive?
“What the hell is going on? I thought we were winning this war”
Why did media coverage of the Vietnam war undermine the war effort?
- The horrors of war could be seen 24/7 in America
- The atrocities committed by the Viet Cong rarely made the news, making it seem like it was a one-sided war
- The anti-war movement started to gain more coverage, spreading that idea throughout America
- WWII had had just as many horrors and atrocities but had more support; WWII had been censored
Why did the media coverage of the Vietnam war not have that much of an effect on public opinion?
- American attitudes were changing anyway and the media just reflected those views
- Shocking scenes were rarely shown on screen; less than 25% of reports shows dead or wounded
- Research shows that from 1965-70, only 76 out of 2300 TV reports showed heavy fighting
What other event in 1968 caused a massive drop in public approval of the war?
The My Lai Massacre
What happened at the My Lai massacre?
In response to the Tet offensive, a small handful of American troops killed 300-400 unarmed villagers in the My Lai valley. Most of them were women, children, and old men.
How did the Vietnam War highlight racial inequality in America?
- Few African-Americans were in college, meaning few could escape the draft
- 30% of African-Americans were drafted, compared to only 19% of white Americans
- 22% of US casualties were African-American, even though they only made up 11% of the US force
How did Muhammad Ali make his stand against the war and the Civil Rights movement?
- Refused to obey the draft because of his Muslim faith
- His passport was removed and he was stripped of his world title
What did Vietnam symbolise for the student community?
Instead of symbolising a US crusade against Communism, Vietnam became a symbol of defeat, confusion and corruption
What chant did students taunt President Johnson with?
“Hey, Hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?”
What does it mean to ‘draft dodge’?
To refuse to serve in Vietnam when they were called up
What criminal offence would often occur at protests?
Burning the American flag
How many demonstrations were there in the first half of 1968?
Over 100 demonstrations involving 40,000 students
