1968:the key events of 1968… –the pueblo incident –the tet offensive –the assassination of...
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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%
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