The war in Vietnam was a conflict that started in the 1950s and ended in the early 1970s. During this time period, the United States became increasingly involved in Vietnamese political, economic and military affairs. There were a combination of reasons as to why the United States became more involved, the most important of which in my opinion were the Domino Theory and the growing influence of the National Liberation Front (NFL).…
On January 30th 1968 over 80,000 Vietcong soldiers launched a surprise attack on over 100 towns and cities in South Vietnam. This is known as the Tet Offensive. The US army and South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) launched a counter-attack which regained all lost territory and crippled the military capabilities of the Vietcong. Some historians argue Tet was not as important as it appears to be. However, it is widely considered to be a pivotal turning point in the Vietnam War, causing the US military to change strategy to Vietnamisation, turning US public opinion against the war, and resulting in President Johnson not standing for re-election. It it provided a catalyst for change by revealing that the USA could not win, resulting in the gradual withdrawal of US troops. The Tet Offensive marked the beginning of the end of American combat forces in Vietnam.…
First off, I’d like to briefly describe the time in which the event took place with regards to American society and politics. The turbulent sixties varied greatly from the conservative fifties and, eventually, resulted in revolutionary ways of thinking and real change in the cultural fabric of American life. National facets such as education, values, lifestyles, laws, and entertainment were all apart of the change. Many of the revolutionary ideas, which began in the sixties, are continuing to evolve today. (Lonestar College Library)…
I choose this reference as a secondary source because I wanted to know what the trends of the country in 1968 were. I did not know how people felt at that time about Johnson, McCarthy, or Vietnam, and this reference helped me with all of those and more. This is a great reference with all of polls that were conducted in 1968 organized very nicely. This will be a great deal of help for helping me write about the trends and mood of the country around 1968.…
The 1960s was a decade of rapid growth, change, and controversy in the United States for many reasons, primarily the Vietnam…
Although the Tet Offensive 1968 was a military disaster for the Vietcong who suffered casualties, it had caused major changes within US policy. The North continued attacking the south which meant changing US military and political policies was inevitable. Therefore the Tet Offensive is considered to be a pivotal turning point in the whole Vietnam War as it demonstrated US limits to power.…
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. This Charles Dickens quote perfectly encapsulates all that was the inspiring, yet politically charged year of 1968. The revolution that occurred was not strictly political, however, and young college students strived to make social statements with “sex, drugs, and rock and roll”. The assassinations of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Kennedy also occurred in the same bittersweet year, as well as widespread riots leading to violent takeovers of college campuses, the 1968 Democratic Convention riot, outbursts by the Black Panthers, including a black power salute at the 1968 Olympic games that got the champions disqualified, anti-war protests, and Yippies. Overall, 1968 was a critical turning point in youth movements, political regimes, black civil rights, and the Vietnam War.…
The 1960s, with the Camelot Kennedy administration and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, was a decade in which many cultural changes took place. The United States itself was amidst the disheartening Cold War and the heartbreaking assassination of President Kennedy. During the period, feminism was revived. The Civil Rights Movement brought change to African Americans with their pursuit for Black Power. Other minorities such as Hispanic Americans and Native Americans organized unions or militant groups to protest for their rights in economic and political issues. Thus, two of the most profound cultural changes were the further development of gender roles, and the emphasis on race relations.…
Woodstock was a rock music festival that took place near Woodstock, New York in a…
On January 31, 1968, the Tet Offensive officially began (Feldmeth). The Offensive began on the first day of Tet, which was the Vietnamese festival of the lunar New Year. The North Vietnamese armies surprised the American and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) armies as they attacked almost every major city in South Vietnam (Battle of Khe Sanh). Although, many of these attacks were resisted, Americans at home saw the Offensive as an American defeat. For the first time in history, the whole war was broadcasted on television, allowing the American public to watch all that occurred in Vietnam. When they saw the Tet Offensive, they realized the power that North Vietnam possessed was greater than they expected. While this brought public opinion of the war down, it also affected their belief in the government. Before this had occurred, military leaders such as General Westmorland were telling Americans that the United States army had everything under control and other sanguine views of the war (What Was the Tonkin Resolution?). This occurrence proved to be contradictory to previous statements made about the war. This Offensive affected President Johnson as well. After the Tet Offensive, he lost popularity as Americans began to question Johnson and his presidency. His loss of popularity increased so much that in the end he decided to drop out of the next…
The 1960s started out on a good foot with John F Kennedy, as President America was happy with the way politics were being handled. He was the second youngest president to ever be in office. John was elected in 1961 and was putting a pretty big hand…
The year 1968 was one of the most controversial years in all of American history. It was a year of struggles for the heroes fighting in Vietnam, for the youth, women, and for black Americans facing both political and social discrimination. Through the year, some of the most famous events in American history took place, from the assassination of Robert Kennedy to the My Lai Massacre, to the most famous Democratic National Convention riots. The 1968 Democratic National Convention (DNC) turned out thousands of supporters, and tens of thousands of protesters. The DNC itself lasted for three historical days, but the effects of the eight days of actions led to major social changes. The Democratic National Convention riots will always be known as one of the most historical and commemorative events in all of American history.…
In November of 1964, violence had reached a point in the country of Vietnam that a decision was made to send military forces. Lyndon B. Johnson, the newly elected president started off by sending around 200,000 men and women to fight off the north Vietnam forces, the Vietcong (). Technology in the United States at this time had improved to a point where color pictures and video could now be produced and fed to the general public. Reporters captured the atrocities of war and the unforgiving destruction to villages that are in the way. This news coverage turned the American people against not only the Soldiers, but also against the government.…
The 1960’s were a time of radical change. It was a decade where people began to question authority, and time of confrontation. The decade's radicalism began with the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November of 1963. This event changed the country's idealistic views, and started an upheaval of civil rights movements. Baby boomers started a new perception, and formalized the act of resistance to war. There were also many of whom, turned violent and rebellious; in their effort to fight "the system."…
It is has been about thirty-five years since the last American soldier set foot on Vietnamese soil, but the Vietnam War still remains to cast a dark shadow on American history. During the war, the United States fought to protect South Vietnam from the terrors of North Vietnam and the threat of turning to communism. Despite America’s valiant efforts, it lost about $150 billion on the war, as well as about 58 thousand American soldiers (Gilbert 377). Many people believed when President Lyndon B. Johnson stepped down from office in 1969, that the war was coming to an end, however it was far from over.…