vietnam 4.1: opposition to the war Flashcards
how many american soldiers died during the war
approx 58,000
how much was the usa spending wach yr on the war
$167 billion by 1973
how did the cost of war impact us society
meant less money to be spent on improving racial or financial equality - less money for johnsons great society program
what was the attitudes to war before 1968
supportive
what evidence was there to early opposition
- mlk privately critisized in 1965
- in 1965 a quaker burned himself alive outside pentagon in washington
how did the media portray the early yrs of vietnam
positively
- us newspapers, tv and journalists largely showed support
what happened to tone of media from 1967/8
began to change
journalists questioned whether war was winnable (tet offensive)
criticised us involvement
what did walter cronkite say about war post tet
declared that he thought that it was unwinnable
what did some news stations begin to report of from 1968
- villages getting napalmed
- civilian massacres (eg: My Lai)
- teenager us soldiers killed
- vietnamese towns and cities destroyed
what was the war also known as
a living room war - televised events
what was the draft
compulsory service in armed forces
why did the draft create opposition
poor white and black people drafted in greater numbers
how was the draft avoided
- attending college/ uni (cost money)
- conscientious objecting
- burning draft card
- having wife + children
when did the my lai massacre take place
march 1968
what happened in my lai
us soldiers - charlie company - on search and destroy mission killed nearly 400 civilians an no vc
mostly women, children and elderly
how was the my lai massacre officially recorded
recorded as a success
us soldiers reported to have killed 90 vc
when did the us press get hold of real my lai story and photographs
november 1969
revealed by soldier
who was trialled and imprisoned for my lai
lieutenant william calley
when was calley charged and what for
sept 1969
murdering 109 people
what was calleys punishment
20 years hard labour
released early - november 1974
how did the massacrre affect attitudes towards war
helped change public opinion against war
how did students protest war
- burned draft cards
- sit-ins/ boycotts
- marches and demonstrations (increasingly more violent)
when did kent state protest occur
4th may 1970
what happened at kent state
- several anti-war protests previously had been broken up by national guard with tear gas
- protesting us invasion of cambodia
- national guard fired into the crowd and 4 students were shot dead
what impact did the kent state shootings have on the publics attitudes
horrified the public and helped more people turn against the war
how did attitudes towards the war change within congress
the was more opposition as time went on
what impact did opposition within congress have
began limiting funding
after paris peace accords (‘73) it refused to give much funding to s. vietnam causing its collapse in ‘75
