Vietnam protest Flashcards
Why did people protest against the Vietnam war
-Huge cost of US intervention with little apparent success. War continued people believed US could never win
-Rising number of deaths and injuries to US troops
-US support of corrupt SV government even if it was anti communist
-US acting like imperial power forcing its will on others
-Tactics in Vietnam mass bombings use of chemical weapons agent orange to destroy crops and forest actions killed and injured many Vietnamese civilians
-Draft system unfair most soilders were young high percentage of A and poor whites drafted less likely to go to college
Who was so in oppose to Vietnam war
By end of 1965 anti-war movements started to gain publicity the SDS publicly declared objection to the war. Memberships rose becuase of this most protestors students.
Media played part in creating opposition to the war. News reporters and cameras access to conflict allowed to broadcast what they wanted Americans seeing horrors of war on tv. Footage of burning villages and terrified kids increased support for anti-war movement. Damage US reputation. As war continued protestors came from more diverse backgrounds increase no older soilders and veterans who wanted to end war and peace
Explain what happened in the anti Vietnam protest
Used Mass rallies where protestors shouted slogans like ‘hey hey lbj how many kids did you kill today’ also dressed up as senior soilders to insult commander of US forces in Vietnam
Sit ins where people gave lectures on the conflict in Vietnam protest held in Public buildings in army recruitment centres and on railway tracks
Burning draft cards helping those who ha been drafted into hiding or leaving USA giving advice on how to avoid conflict
When did protest peak
1968-1970 first 6 months of 1968 100 anti war demonstrations across US largest individual protest march on Washington in NOV 1969 attracted 500,000 supporters anti war protestors sometimes turned to Violence and further sit ins
What were the impacts of the Anti Vietnam war movement
helped split society into those supporting war and those who did not, many believe reason why Johnson did not stand for re-election protest put pressure on gov and raised awareness of anti-war beliefs
Many Americans did not trust protestors seen as unpatriotic as some anti-war protestors burned the flag and declawed support for NV and communism help pro-war rallies and demonstration. More people supported the war than anti war protestors
What were the hippies
Many young people protested in student movements protest and anti-war movements. some rejected society all together dropping out. Many lived in communities other travellled around living out of buses or vans. Created a counter culture to traditional American With different moral codes promoting peace love and happiness. Slogans were ‘make love ,not war’ ‘if it feels good do it’ experimented with sex drugs forms of art and music like rock music central to hippies lives crown of hippy movement Woodstock music festival august 1969 where up to 500,000 gathered from the
What did hippies look like
Long unstyled hair colourful clothes and jewellery nakedness encouraged emphasis on peace and love hippies weren’t passive strong anti-war views and belief in racial and gender equality were passionately involved in Civil rights women’s rights and anti Vietnam protest
What were the impacts of the Hippy
Many Americans shocked by the hippy movement viewed them as wasters could not understand why their children behaved in this way and reject society their parents created in the exception of advances of civil rights for AA hippies had little impact on government policies
Did have a lasting impact on society few young became hippies themselves many adopted aspects of the movement wearing unusual clothes listening to rock and experimenting with drugs and sex. hippies ideas of equality individuality and tolerance of everyone no matter what their sexuality race or gender became more acceptable to wider US society
