1968:The key events of 1968…– The Pueblo Incident– The Tet Offensive– The assassination of MLK– The assassination of RFK– The 1968 Democratic Convention– The 1968 Presidential election

• The greatest number of troops in Vietnam was in 1968. 1968: 536,000 troops / 31,000 Dead

Vietnam was the major issue in the 1968 Presidential election. ..Stay the course or withdraw?

Doves & HawksAn analogy... Hawks are predators which attack & feed upon other

animals, whereas doves mostly eat seeds & fruit.

A Dove is someone favoring peace.

A Hawk is someone favoring war.

The Pueblo IncidentJanuary 23, 1968

The Pueblo was conducting gathering electronic intelligence off the coast of North Korea...

• The ship is captured by NK• NK holds 83 prisoners for 11 months

The Pueblo crew…•As POWs: Starved, tortured & beaten•The crew used sign language signals in propaganda photos •The crew is released in Dec, 1968•The Pueblo is still held by NK

The Tet Offensive Jan,1968

• A major offensive by Vietnamese Communists in SV. - 60,000 NV/ VC attack

• 80 cities or military bases were simultaneously attacked during the

Tet Offensive.

Results of the Tet Offensive• 1,600 U.S. KIA - 8,000 U.S.WIA• 40,000 NV / VC dead• 1M civilian refugees

• 200,000 civilians dead • Militarily failure for the NV/ VC

The significance of Tet in the U.S…• Tet contradicted that the U.S. was winning the war• The public turns against the war• Protests dramatically increase • LBJ announces he will not seek 2nd term

• A major political & psychological victory for the NV/ VC

The Assassination of MLK• MLK faces death threats & FBI harassment• MLK assassinated April 4, 1968• 168 cities erupt in violence/ 27,000 African Americans jailed• U.S. Army sets–up defenses in Washington D.C.

James Earl Ray assassinates Dr. King...

JER Conspiracy?• No history of violent crime • The rifle only had 2 fingerprints • Never expressed racial opinions • No fingerprints in the room

The Assassination of Robert F. KennedyJune 5, 1968

• Emerging front runner in Democratic Primary• Shot in Los Angeles, CA• Assassin: Sirhan Sirhan • A misinformed & confused individual ...The motive for

killing RFK was not rational

The Democratic National ConventionAugust 21-26, 1968

Three possible Democratic candidates prior to RFK assassination…

• Robert F. Kennedy - Anti-War

• Eugene McCarthy - Anti War

• Hubert Humphrey – LBJs VP & supports efforts in Vietnam

Prior to the convention…• Humphrey never enters a primary & uses the “party

machine” to get enough delegates to win the nomination.• The will of the people was being ignored & mass protest

was planned for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago ...

The Democratic Convention in Chicago…• Mass protests are held outside the venue • Major Daly fears that delegates will be intimidated into

voting for McCarthy & orders the police to intervene • Daly uses the police to trigger riots… Arrests, beatings

& tear gas

• National & world wide TV coverage • Protestors chant: “The whole world is watching”

Inside the convention…• Debate rages over Vietnam policy…

McCarthy peace initiative fails

• Humphrey praises Major Daly for the convention & LBJ for Vietnam

The tear gas haze…

Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey - Democrat• Sought a continuation of the Great Society • Supported LBJ’s Vietnam policy• Heckled by anti- war protestors

1968 Presidential Election

George Wallace Gov. of AL - American Independent Party • “Segregation now! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!”• GW: Blacks- NO voting, NO juries, NO public office• Bomb Vietnam “back to the Stone Age”• Main goal was to disrupt the election

Richard M. NixonRepublican

• “Peace with honor”… End the war• An end to the "crisis of the cities“….• "law and order”…• Strengthen national defense • Reduce of taxes… Rollback the Great Society

Results of the 1968 Election

Party/ Elector/ Pop Vote%

Nixon: Rep… 301… 43.4%

Humphrey: Dem… 191… 42.7%

Wallace: Am. Ind. 46… 13.5%

Richard Milhous Nixon37th President Republican

1969 - 1974

Nixon’s InaugurationJanuary 20, 1969