1. ‘ gap’ – TV footage of failures, atrocities & corruption in South Vietnam govt = people ≠ believe US govt’s claims that war was just/going well.
2. Anti-war beliefs – eg
= pacifists (‘make love not war’); some Christians = anti-war on religious grounds; 170,000 registered as Conscientious Objectors.
3. The was unfair – rich = avoid draft (eg college deferment), poor (esp black) = drafted more.
4. Cost to society – war seen as $ waste → less funding for Johnson’s anti-poverty ‘Great Society’.
5. Civil Rights – black men drafted & killed > whites → seen as racial injustice.
6. Against The War – ashamed of atrocities they had witnessed.
7. Sympathy for Vietnamese – some said they had right to control own country, ≠ be told by USA.
8. Moral doubts – some lost confidence in idea that USA had right to impose democracy abroad.
9. Not worth the deaths – many said Vietnam ≠ worth lives of young Americans.
10. Police repression → stronger protests – heavy-handed policing of protests gave movement more anger/determination.
Timeline of Opposition to the War
1965 – The
(student group) organised ‘teach-ins’ = mass anti-war student events.
May 1965 – Univ. of California students = 1st to
draft cards.
Nov 1965 – Norman Morrison (pacifist) set himself on fire under Defence Secretary McNamara’s window.
May 1966 –
refused draft: “No Vietcong ever called me nigger”.
Apr 1967 –
came out against war: black men = poorer, drafted more, killed more.
Oct 1967 – ‘Dow Day’: student protest vs Dow Chemical (made napalm) = turned violent.
Oct 1967 – Catholic priest Philip Berrigan poured blood on draft records.
1968 – Eugene McCarthy (Dem. candidate) ran on anti-war campaign.
Oct 1969 – The violent-action group
organised ‘Days of Rage’ in Chicago; later bombed Capitol (1971) & Pentagon (1972).
4 May 1970 –
University protest vs Cambodia bombing = National Guard shot 4 students dead → 100k protested in Washington.
Aug 1970 – ‘New Year’s Gang’ bombed Army Maths Research Center.
Aug 1971 – Vietnam Veterans Against the War led 500k-strong march; 700 medals discarded in protest.
Apr–May 1971 – Senate Foreign Relations Committee held the ‘’: war hero John Kerry testified Vietnam ≠ anti-communist war, but civil war for freedom.
Why did some Americans support the War in Vietnam?
1. Fear of
– belief in Domino Theory; thought US must defend freedom/democracy.
2. Patriotism – esp. working-class draftees/families = saw service as duty; viewed protesters as traitors.
3. Christian
– saw war as Crusade vs godless Communism.
4. Defence jobs – some backed war to protect defence-related employment.
5. Cultural backlash – many saw antiwar movement as pro-drug, rebellious, anti-American → defended govt.
6. Govt-backed groups – eg ‘Tell It to Hanoi Committee’ = govt-funded ‘’ groups pretending to be ordinary citizens.
7. Right-wing supporters – some backed war but opposed govt, saying it was too soft/not doing enough.
Pro-War Highlights
May 1967 – 70k-strong pro-war march in NY (3rd that month).
Nov 1969 – Nixon appealed to ‘’ to back govt vs ‘vocal minority’ protesters.
Apr 1970 – Christian fundamentalists & neo-Nazis held pro-war rally at Washington Monument.
May 1970 – 200 ‘’ construction workers attacked Kent State protesters chanting “All The Way, USA”; Nixon invited them to White House, accepted hardhat as gift.
May 1970 – Pro-war march >100k people.
Aug 1970 – ‘’ (astroturf group) set up in 27 cities.
Sept 1970 – Ben Garcia drove lawnmower from NY to White House to deliver pro-war petition to Nixon.
The Role of the Media
• Early support – eg Time (1961) praised US military in Vietnam.
• Growing doubts –
◦ 1965 CBS showed US troops burning Vietnam houses.
◦ 1968 John
wrote article showing soldiers’ fear & anger during ‘Hamburger Hill’.
• Tet Offensive = turning point – Respected news anchor Walter
asked: “What the hell is going on?” → Johnson: “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.”
• Did media turn opinion?
◦ Probably not – most reports b4 1968 = pro-war.
◦ Media hostility followed ≠ led, public opinion.
◦ But public had been shaped by 4 yrs of war footage – they saw → decided for themselves.
• 1971:
– Daniel
leaked secret govt history → showed govt had lied to public & Congress.
◦ Nixon ordered burglary of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office to smear him → failed.
◦ Break-in exposed in Watergate → helped destroy Nixon’s presidency.
Why did some Americans oppose the War in Vietnam?
1. ‘CREDIBILITY gap’ – TV footage of failures, atrocities & corruption in South Vietnam govt = people ≠ believe US govt’s claims that war was just/going well.
2. Anti-war beliefs – eg HIPPIES = pacifists (‘make love not war’); some Christians = anti-war on religious grounds; 170,000 registered as Conscientious Objectors.
3. The DRAFT was unfair – rich = avoid draft (eg college deferment), poor (esp black) = drafted more.
4. Cost to society – war seen as $ waste → less funding for Johnson’s anti-poverty ‘Great Society’.
5. Civil Rights – black men drafted & killed > whites → seen as racial injustice.
6. VIETNAMESE VETERANS Against The War – ashamed of atrocities they had witnessed.
7. Sympathy for Vietnamese – some said they had right to control own country, ≠ be told by USA.
8. Moral doubts – some lost confidence in idea that USA had right to impose democracy abroad.
9. Not worth the deaths – many said Vietnam ≠ worth lives of young Americans.
10. Police repression → stronger protests – heavy-handed policing of protests gave movement more anger/determination.
Timeline of Opposition to the War
1965 – The VIETNAM DAY COMMITTEE (student group) organised ‘teach-ins’ = mass anti-war student events.
May 1965 – Univ. of California students = 1st to BURN draft cards.
Nov 1965 – Norman Morrison (pacifist) set himself on fire under Defence Secretary McNamara’s window.
May 1966 – MUHAMMAD ALI refused draft: “No Vietcong ever called me nigger”.
Apr 1967 – MARTIN LUTHER KING came out against war: black men = poorer, drafted more, killed more.
Oct 1967 – ‘Dow Day’: student protest vs Dow Chemical (made napalm) = turned violent.
Oct 1967 – Catholic priest Philip Berrigan poured blood on draft records.
1968 – Eugene McCarthy (Dem. candidate) ran on anti-war campaign.
Oct 1969 – The violent-action group WEATHER UNDERGROUND organised ‘Days of Rage’ in Chicago; later bombed Capitol (1971) & Pentagon (1972).
Mar 1970 – 2 sailors hijacked napalm ship (SS COLUMBIA EAGLE) → Columbia.
4 May 1970 – KENT STATE University protest vs Cambodia bombing = National Guard shot 4 students dead → 100k protested in Washington.
Aug 1970 – ‘New Year’s Gang’ bombed Army Maths Research Center.
Aug 1971 – Vietnam Veterans Against the War led 500k-strong march; 700 medals discarded in protest.
Apr–May 1971 – Senate Foreign Relations Committee held the ‘FULBRIGHT HEARINGS’: war hero John Kerry testified Vietnam ≠ anti-communist war, but civil war for freedom.
Why did some Americans support the War in Vietnam?
1. Fear of COMMUNISM – belief in Domino Theory; thought US must defend freedom/democracy.
2. Patriotism – esp. working-class draftees/families = saw service as duty; viewed protesters as traitors.
3. Christian FUNDAMENTALISM – saw war as Crusade vs godless Communism.
4. Defence jobs – some backed war to protect defence-related employment.
5. Cultural backlash – many saw antiwar movement as pro-drug, rebellious, anti-American → defended govt.
6. Govt-backed groups – eg ‘Tell It to Hanoi Committee’ = govt-funded ‘ASTROTURF’ groups pretending to be ordinary citizens.
7. Right-wing supporters – some backed war but opposed govt, saying it was too soft/not doing enough.
Pro-War Highlights
May 1967 – 70k-strong pro-war march in NY (3rd that month).
Nov 1969 – Nixon appealed to ‘SILENT MAJORITY’ to back govt vs ‘vocal minority’ protesters.
Apr 1970 – Christian fundamentalists & neo-Nazis held pro-war rally at Washington Monument.
May 1970 – 200 ‘HARD HAT’ construction workers attacked Kent State protesters chanting “All The Way, USA”; Nixon invited them to White House, accepted hardhat as gift.
May 1970 – Pro-war march >100k people.
Aug 1970 – ‘AMERICANS FOR WINNING THE PEACE’ (astroturf group) set up in 27 cities.
Sept 1970 – Ben Garcia drove lawnmower from NY to White House to deliver pro-war petition to Nixon.
The Role of the Media
• Early support – eg Time (1961) praised US military in Vietnam.
• Growing doubts –
◦ 1965 CBS showed US troops burning Vietnam houses.
◦ 1968 John WHEELER wrote article showing soldiers’ fear & anger during ‘Hamburger Hill’.
• Tet Offensive = turning point – Respected news anchor Walter CRONKITE asked: “What the hell is going on?” → Johnson: “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.”
• Did media turn opinion?
◦ Probably not – most reports b4 1968 = pro-war.
◦ Media hostility followed ≠ led, public opinion.
◦ But public had been shaped by 4 yrs of war footage – they saw → decided for themselves.
• 1971: PENTAGON PAPERS – Daniel ELLSBERG leaked secret govt history → showed govt had lied to public & Congress.
◦ Nixon ordered burglary of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office to smear him → failed.
◦ Break-in exposed in Watergate → helped destroy Nixon’s presidency.
