Support And Opposition To The War

Question 1

What were some ways to measure public opinion

Answer 1

Opinion Polls

Politicians (only react when a decision is significant enough to change votes)

Demonstrations and their size

Question 2

What were the reactions to millitary involvement in Vietnam before 1965

Answer 2

There was broad support for US involvement however some anti war groups did speak out against it

Question 3

How did the reactions to the war change after 1965

Answer 3

Once Johnson escalated US millitary involvement from 1965-68 the media and public became quickly concerned

Opposition came from many people

Question 4

What were some examples to opposition to the war after 1965

Answer 4

Martin Luther King privatley criticised the war and then publicly marched and spoke at anti war protests

2nd November 1965 Norman Morrison burnt himself to death outside the US Millitary headquaters to copy the monk who did it in Saigon

Wayne Morse (Senator for Oregon) gave the only speech against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (authorised Johnson to take measures he felt were neccesary in Vietnam without asking congress)

Question 5

What were the reasons for growing oppposition to the war

Answer 5

Short term Factors such as Events in Vietnam/presidents decisions(Tet offensive or invading Cambodia)

Long term factors such as the Rising death toll,rising cost and loss of family members/friends

Question 6

Why were students opposed to the invasion of vietnam normally

Answer 6

The number of students had risen and they usually rejected their parent’s generations ideas and became a part of a counter culture

Question 7

What methods did Students use against the war

Answer 7

They used similar methods to civil rights campaigners,Sit ins,Boycotts,Protest Demanstrations,Marches and strikes

Question 8

What does SDS stand for and what did they do

Answer 8

The Students for a Democratic Society set up in 1960 was a significant student group with around 3000 members and opposed the war and supported the north vietnamese

Question 9

Why did the draft create opposition to the war and how did the goverment change the draft after the backlash

Answer 9

The draft was picking people to go and fight at vietnam and recieved lots of backlash as many felt it was unfair,it was change to a lottery system after this still many people attempted to avoid the draft

Question 10

How did the media affect opposition to the war

Answer 10

This was the first war that could be widely watched on television

this meant many americans saw footage of the war and the atrocities of war making them more opposed to it

They also could watch anti war demonstrations

Question 11

When was the My Lai Massacre

Answer 11

March 1968

Question 12

What was the My Lai Massacre

Answer 12

Us troops were sent to the village of My Lai breifed that they would come under VC fire.This didn’t happen yet over the next 4 hours the troops led by Liutenant Calley killed all the people and animals in the village even stopping for lunch

Question 13

What happened after the My Lai Massacre that was so significant for opposition to the war

Answer 13

The public were at first not too sure what to believe,the US govemernt said 20 civilians were ‘accidentally killed’ however It was then enquired in to and found out that in fact a massacre had taken place,This grew the opposition to the war as not only had a massacre occured but the goverment had tried to cover it up

Question 14

What was significant about Calley’s Trial in 1970-71

Answer 14

People were angry at him but were also angry how the other people involved werent tried as Callley was acting under orders they felt it was unfair

Question 15

When were the Kent State Shootings

Answer 15

4th May 1970

Question 16

What happened in the Kent State shootings

Answer 16

In 1970 After Nixon’s announcement of the invasion of Cambodia this led to protests across US including unicersities.

At kent state university a series of protest were held in May. On one occassion the students lit fires and smashed windows.

The mayor declared a state of emergency. The next evening the studebts set fire to a university buikding that was used to train reserve troops.

The next day when the students gathered on university grounds when they refused to leave the national guard used tear gas. The students threw tear gas canisters and rocks at them. The national guards shot 13 students and 4 students died from their wounds.
bury a copy of the Constitution in protest

The next evening after fighting between pro and anti war groups the Officer Training Corps building on campus was burnt down

Many demonstrations took place and the national guard couldent break them up and after bricks were thrown at the National Guard they fired into the crowd

Question 17

What was the public reaction to the Kent State university and what similar event happened two weeks later that was reacted to differently

Answer 17

The public were horrified mainly because it involved white middle class students which was in Contrast to the two black students shot two weeks later at Jackson state university to which there wasn’t alot of publicity

Question 18

What was the opposition from politicians and congress to the war

Answer 18

Doves were those who opposed the war and they didn’t like the cost (estimated 20 billion),the politics or in general the way how the war was fought (guerilla warfare)

They also refused to give as much money to the South Vietnamese after the war as was promised and negotiated the final peace acoords at Paris in 1971

Question 19

What was the worldwide opposition to the war

Answer 19

The people abroad could also see the horrifying images from Vietnam and due to the USA seemingly representing freedom and democracy the fact they were involved in Vietnam was shocking to many and also let the USSR get many propoganda victories

Question 20

Why was there support for the war

Answer 20

There was a fear of communism from many Americans who would rather fight the vietnamese now than let communism spread (domino theory,if one country falls to communism,those around jt do too)

Question 21

Why was patriotism a reason for support of the war

Answer 21

Patriotism is the love of and loyalty to one’s country and many americans were fiercly patriotic,This meant that when they were told that they had to fight in Vietnam by the goverment they did it out of the love of their country

Question 22

When was the hard hat riot

Answer 22

May 1970

Question 23

When was the hard hat riot

Answer 23

8th may 1970,just after kent state shootings

Question 24

What was the hard hat riot

Answer 24

At a new york anti war protest construction workers (hard hats) stormed out of their lunch break and beat up protesters

Question 25

What was the reaction to the hard hat riot

Answer 25

Anti war people were shocked however many were glad somebody finally spoke up and ‘sorted out’ the students

Question 26

What were ‘the silent majority’

Answer 26

The majority of US people who actually supported the war but didn’t speak out

Question 27

How did Nixon try to get more support for the war

Answer 27

He appealed for the support of the ‘silent majority’ and it was succesful as a poll carried out over the next few days showed 77% support for Nixons policies in vietnam and many letters of support were sent to the white house

Question 28

What was the political support for the war

Answer 28

There were people called hawks who were pro war however it was difficult if you were in an opposing party to the president as you wanted to make that president lose votes but also wanted to save face for the USA

Question 29

What was the support from congress for the war like

Answer 29

At the beggining (gulf of tonkin resolution) 1964 alot of congress supported the war as this was passed unaminously however over time congress became less favourable to the war however kept funding it because they didn’t want to be beaten,Congress however were very easily influenced by public opinion