Hey Hey, LBJ, How many kids did you kill today?

LBJ Stands for Lyndon Baines Johnson (president)

How does this slogan make you feel?

What does it reveal about the climate surrounding Vietnam in the US?

The End to Vietnam Era: The Tet Offensive up through Nixon

January 30th 1968 – February 24th 1968 (Tet)

1975 end of the era

Tet: January 30th 1968 – February 24th 1968

Late January

Vietnamese New Year

North Vietnam creates a cease fire agreement with South Vietnam

Trick

Morning of January 30th

Largest offensive of the Conflict

Designed to win the war Cripple the South Vietnamese Army

Attempt at obtaining civilian support and uprisings

Force KIA WIA MIA CIA

US Forces 1,536 7,764 11 unknown

ARVN 2,788 8,299 587 unknown

NVA/VC 45,000 unknown unknown 6,991

Outcomes

US Military Victory: I think the chart really says it all, I mean, for cereal

North Vietnamese and Communistic media victory Much more powerful of a victory over America

Why?

Nixon to the Presidency

1969-1974 Gets a second term

Republican

He will get us out of Vietnam

Domestic Policies

New Federalism: Reducing size of government

Revenue Sharing

OSHA, EPA, Family Assistance Plan

Expanded Affirmative Action

Edconomics: Stagflation, Energy Crisis

Foreign Policy Outside Vietnam

Henry Kissinger Realpolitik

End to containment

Détente: easing struggle between Soviets and Chinese and USA (starts in 1969)

SALT I: Strategic Arms Limitations Talk And agreement to reduce weapons, alright

Fun Fact: 1972, Nixon will begin talks with China and open us up to trade and such with them to pressure Soviets into the negotiation table

First president to then visit Moscow

Vietnamization

Goal: Hand the war back over to South Vietnam

1969 peak of troops (543,000) End of that year 60,000 will be drawn out

Self Government, Self Defense, Self Development

DOES NOT reject airforce

1969 Bombings

Nixon begins secret air raids in Cambodia and Laos

Targeting the Ho Chi Minh Trail

Laos is now considered the Land of Bombs

Part of Mad Man Theory

Pentagon Papers and War Powers Act

Released in 1971

Pentagon documents get published in NY Times

Reveals Cambodia/Laos bombings

Congress repeals the Gulf of Tonkin in 1971 with the Wars Power Act

By 1975- Under Ford, Saigon will fall