Opposition to the war

• Approximately 2.8 million American soldiers served in Vietnam
• The conflict affected the whole nation
• The period witnessed unrest in others areas of American life – black Americans fought for their civil rights, the Women's Liberation movement grew and young people protested against the government for a variety of reasons
• This coincided with growing opposition to the war in Vietnam
• People had started to turn against the war prior to the Tet Offensive, but after it, criticism grew even more
• There were nearly half a million troops in the country and the cost was about $20 billion per year, yet the communists close communist Supporters of the communist movement or party. had almost been successful in taking key positions
• The fight to drive them back had harmed many civilians and been very public – this was the television age and events were witnessed by millions back in America
• The use of napalm (a chemical that burns the skin) had shocked many, as had public executions and episodes like the My Lai Massacre
• On 16 March 1968, 'Charlie Company' platoon moved towards the village of My Lai
• It is estimated that 347 men, women, children and babies were killed in the four hours the soldiers were there, many whilst working in the fields, some inside their homes
• In September 1969 Lt. Calley was formally charged with murdering 109 people
• Calley ended up taking the majority of the blame
• The case attracted huge media attention
• Calley was sentenced and imprisoned in March 1971. He was pardoned by President Nixon and released in 1974
• My Lai divided opinion in the USA
• In November 1969, 700,000 anti-war protesters went to Washington and protested
• Public opinion about the war was starting to turn
• In April 1965, 20,000 people went to the Washington Monument to protest at a rally led by the group 'Students for a Democratic Society'
• By 1967, protests had become more likely to erupt into violence – sometimes the Stars and Stripes flag was burnt
• At Berkeley, Yale and Stanford universities, bombs were set off
• Violence continued to escalate and in 1970 four students at Kent State University were shot dead by the National Guard
• In April 1970 Nixon announced Cambodia was to be entered to stop the Vietcong profiting from supply lines and bases there
• Many students protested across the country. On 4 May at Kent State University students protesting were shot at by the National Guard who had been called there to ensure stability. Four students were killed in unclear circumstances
• Further protests followed – 2 million students in 400 institutions went on strike
• Young people were hit by the draft which required them to report for compulsory duty in the army
• Some young men burnt their draft cards in protest and a number of 'We Won't Go' groups were formed at Cornell and other leading universities
• Although the government prosecuted 9118 men for avoiding the draft between 1963 and 1973, about 34,000 draft dodgers were wanted by the police
• Many young Americans left altogether, the majority fleeing to Canada
• The draft also affected black people disproportionately – white men at university could defer the draft, but as there were fewer black students, this option of deferring was not open to them
• The cost of the war meant that less could be spent on social programmes at home to tackle problems like poverty – which again affected the black communities (who were more likely to use them)
• Alongside all this, the Black Panthers and other militant black groups were growing in popularity and media presence – these groups argued strongly against the draft and the war itself