Home Front

• Nearly half of Americans polled in 1967 didn’t know for sure what the war was about.
• Between 1965 and 1968, the Johnson administration slowly concluded that their aims and methods were inappropriate.
• Cross over point - point at which Americans anticipated Hanoi would give up because they were being killed faster that Hanoi could replace them.
• The Johnson admin was publicly optimistic in 1967, claiming the cross over point had been reached.
• In 1967, Westmoreland said there were only 285,000 communists left fighting in the south. The CIA said over 500,000 but that was kept quiet to preserve morale.
• McNamara lost faith in the war. The lack of progress and passionate anti-war sentiments of family and friends such as Bobby Kennedy destroyed his old certainty. He frequently burst into tears in discussions.
• Opinion polls on 1967 revealed 45% of Americans favoured increased military pressure in Vietnam as opposed to the 41% who favoured withdrawal.
• In august 1967, hawks organised Senate hearings designed to force Johnson into lifting restrictions on bombing of NV.
• McNamara resigned and was replaced in Feb 1968 by Clark Clifford as Secretary of Defence.
• New Sec of Defence Clifford questioned the domino theory and US involvement altogether. The Tet Offensive made him conclude America had to get out.
• Anti-war protests began in 1964 when 1000 students from Yale Uni staged a protest march in New York and 5000 professors wrote in support.
• The press and TV meant Vietnam was Maerica’s first fully televised war.
• In 1965, many unis held anti-war lectures and debates, with 20,000 participating in Berkeley. However, thousands of students signed pro-Johnson petitions, including a quarter of Yale undergrads.
• In April, 25,000 marched Washington against the war.
• In 1965, still fewer than 25% of Americans believed sending troops to Vietnam was wrong.
• In 1966, public and congressional support for the war dropped. LBJ had to limit public appearances to avoid chants asking ‘how many boys have you killed today?’
• August 1967 tax rises turned more Americans against the expensive war and draft cards were openly burned throughout October.
• In 1967, 4,000 to 10,000 Berkeley students tried to close down draft headquarters in Oakland and clashed with police.
• In 1967, Johnson had 2000 police, 17,000 National Guards and 6000 army regulars to handle 70,000 protestors in Washington.
• Many middle class Americans considered the 1967 protests treasonous, and the Wise Men all supported Johnson’s Vietnam policy.
• In 1967, 46% of Americans felt commitment to Vietnam was a mistake, but a majority wanted to stay.
• Results of Nov 1967 public relations offensive in early 1968:

  • 49-29% favoured invading NV
  • 42-33% favoured mining Haiphong, main port of NV, even if it sunk Soviet ships
  • 25% didn’t oppose bombing China /using atomic weapons
• Jan 1968 - Hanoi broke traditional Tet holiday truce and launched unprecedented offensive against SV.
• When tens of thousands of PAVN and VC attacked cities and military installations in SV, US and ARVN preoccupied with Tet festival and taken by surprise.
• It took 11,000 US and ARVN troops 3 weeks to clear Hue of communist forces, although other cities were regained within days.
• Saigon, Washington and the US public were surprised the VC could move so freely through SV at the Tet Offensive.
• Casualties and damage of Tet:

  • 3895 Americans dies
  • 4954 ARVN died
  • 14,300 SV civilians died
  • 53,373 VC and PAVN died
  • 9776/17,134 houses in Hue completely destroyed, 3169 badly damaged
• Military significance of Tet:

  • largest set of battles so far
  • communist position in SV countryside strengthened
  • US had stopped overthrow of Saigon, but failed to make it viable against communists
• Khe Sanh - battle designed to distract US from Tet. 10,000 communists and 500 Americans died, wrongly perceived by Westmoreland as great prize. Afterwards Westmoreland kicked upstairs to desk job.
• Walter Cronkite was strongly supportive of the war until visiting in Feb 1968.
• TV coverage of destruction and death at the Tet offensive turned many against the war, especially when it contrasted the government’s claim that the US was winning the war.
• After Tet, Johnson’s approval ratings decreased from 48% to 36% - felt he had to withdraw from presidential race.
• After Te, by March Clifford was totally against the war and even Rusk was wavering.
• After Tet the Treasury said the nation couldn’t afford to send more troops. Johnson rejected JCS demands for 200,000 more troops.
• In Nov 1967, the Wise Men declared their support of Vietnam but at their March 1968 eating after Tet, the majority were changing their minds. Most advocated some kind of retreat.
• The expense of the war damaged the US economy, but Johnson was unwilling to admit cost as he feared funding cuts for the Great Society. As a result, gov deficit rose from $1.6 billion in 1965 to $25.3 billion in 1968. Caused inflation and dramatically weakened dollar.
• In 1968, 78% Americans believed US wasn’t making any progress in the war, and 74% that Johnson wasn’t handling it well
• Peace talks began in Paris in May 1968.
• Mutually exclusive demands meant peace negotiations continued intermittently for 5 years.