reasons for opposition to the war

• The USA wasn't winning:

  the Vietcong and North Vietnamese army were still strong. Despite all the lives lost and the money spent, the USA was no closer to winning the war - this damaged people's confidence in their politicians and military leaders
• US politicians:

  a huge amount of money was being spent on the war. Some politicians argued that the money should be spent on domestic issues such as education, housing and healthcare
• Lack of support for the South Vietnamese government:

  many Americans felt that the government of South Vietnam was corrupt and brutal, and questioned why the USA was defending it
• The Civil Rights Movement:

  civil rights leaders spoke out against the war.They highlighted racial Inequality in the army
• The 'draft' system:

  nearly two million men joined the US army through the 'draft' between 1964 and 1972. There was intense hatred of this and many young people began to question whether the war was worth all the lives it was costing
• Casualties: there was shock at the number of dead and injured US soldiers. Around 300 died each week and the average age of a soldier killed in the conflict was just 23
• Media coverage:

  images and stories of civilian casualties, poor discipline and drug-taking in the army were widely reported on TV and in newspapers
• Stories of US defeats - and more news films showing civilian and military casualties

  • At the Battle of Hamburger Hill| (May 1969), for example, around 70 US soldiers were killed and 400 were wounded taking control of the hill
  • Soon after the battle the US quietly abandoned it, leading many people to question the whole point of the battle
• New York Times

  • In June 1971, the newspaper published leaked secret reports
  • These confirmed the suspicions of many Americans that the government had been lying about US involvement in the war
• Life magazine

  • The magazine shocked Americans by publishing the names and faces of all 242 US troops killed during one week of fighting in June 1969
  • The sight of so many fresh-faced young men, now dead, brought the impact of the war right home
• the battle Stories about the poor morale and behaviour of the troops

  • The coverage of the My Lai massacre in March 1968, for example, damaged the image of US troops
  • An investigation revealed that they had massacred up to 500 SouthVietnamese civilians
  • The army's attempted cover-up led many more to distrust what the authorities were telling them