the election of 1968 lbj announces he will not seek reelection for president democratic candidates...
TRANSCRIPT
NIXON AND THE END OF THE WAR
The Election of 1968 LBJ announces he will not seek
reelection for president Democratic candidates
1.Hubert Humphrey
2.Eugene McCarthy
3.Robert Kennedy
Election of 1968
What happened to Robert Kennedy?Shot & killed by
Sirhan Sirhan
Who wins the nomination?Hubert Humphrey
Election of 1968
Republican Candidate: Richard Nixon
Independent Candidate: George C. Wallace; The “great governor from the state of Alabama”
Election of 1968
Who wins the election?Richard NixonWon easily in electoral votePopular vote was very close
Silent Majority “Middle America” who disapproved
of the anti-war protestors and supported the Vietnam War
This group would become what was known as the “New Right” who would be largely responsible for the conservative movement in the 1980s
“Peace with Honor” Pledged to pull troops out of war
1969: 540,000 troops1972: 24,000 troops
Vietnamization: Turning over more of the fighting in Vietnam to the South Vietnamese while gradually bringing troops home
Laos and Cambodia Nixon secretly ordered
bombing campaigns and sent troops into both of these countries in 1969 and 1970
“I want the North Vietnamese to believe that I’ve reached the point where I might do anything to stop the war”
Kent State Shootings – May 4, 1970
4 killed, 9 injured
Credibility Gap Widens America learns of My Lai
Massacre in 1969 1971 the Pentagon Papers were
leaked to the New York TimesSecret government documents about the war which proved government was misleading Americans about the war
1972 Election Despite anti-war protestors,
Nixon able to beat… George McGovern
Received almost 18 million more popular votes than McGovern—the widest margin of any U.S. presidential election
Watergate Scandal Jun 17, 1972 Five men broke into
offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel Office Complex in D.C.
Installing or repairing advanced eavesdropping equipment and had cameras taking photographs of contents of filing cabinets
Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP)Pulled off many “Dirty Tricks” for Nixon while in office
Wire-Tap Devices in the Oval Office recorded every conversation
Ever since the Pentagon Papers were leaked, Nixon put into place the Plumbers to plug these leaks
The Washington Post Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
were the investigative reporters in charge of investigating Watergate
Deep Throat (Mark Felt)Secret informant who provided the journalists with info. that Nixon was directly involved
Why was Nixon involved???
Nixon’s last daysThree articles of impeachment
(what is it?)
1. Obstructing the Watergate investigation
2. Misuse of power and violating his oath of office
3. Failure to comply with House subpoenas
Impeachment Process
House impeaches (charges with a formal accusation)
Senate decides guilt or innocence
“Always give your best, never get discouraged, never get petty; always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.”
-Richard Nixon August 8, 1974
The War Ends 1973: Paris Peace Accords Removal of all U.S. troops and
military advisers but allowed North to remain in place
Both sides agreed to return P.O.W.s including over 600 Americans
North and South would remain split and this meant that U.S. could withdraw keeping its promise of not allowing Communism to spread – aka the Domino Theory
South Vietnam Falls 1975 North Vietnam launched
New offensive in the South Achieved victory in just 5
months May 1, 1975, Saigon became
Ho Chi Minh City Last workers at embassy are
pulled out in 1975
Vietnam by the Numbers 185,000 South Vietnamese
soldiers and 450,000 civilians died 58,000 Americans dead, 300,000
wounded, and 2,500 missing Over 1,000,000 NVA and Vietcong
were dead 1,500,000 refugees fled after
Saigon was captured
Effects on Veterans Large number paralyzed & disabled
returned home because of advanced medical conditionsLieutenant Dan from Forest Gump
Veterans were targets of anger or shame, verbal abuse, and even of people spitting on them
Also, they suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Political Impact More than $150 Billion spent on the
Vietnam War Wars Powers Act 1973: Sets a 60-
day limit on the presidential commitment of U.S. troops to foreign conflicts without specific Congressional authorization or declaration of war
Distrust of Government
Other Foreign Policies
RealpolitikBase foreign policies on national interest
Detente Ease tensions
with Cold War enemies
SALT I: agreement to slow the building of offensive weapons
“Just easin’ the tensions baby.Just easin’ the tensions”
Ping Pong Diplomacy