Vietnam and the Rise of the New Right

Legacy of the 1960s

• Liberal reforms• But conservative ascendancy• Reaction to: – feminism– integration– hippies– anti-war

The Age of Nixon

• Wins 1968• Appeals to “Silent Majority”• Promises to end war with “secret plan”

War Drags On

• US tries to prevent Communist takeover since 1964

• Stiff resistance from N. Vietnamese, i.e. Viet Cong

• No exit strategy

The Problem

• N. Vietnamese fighting war for independence• US relies more on air power• S. Vietnamese corrupt, lack commitment

The End

• Nixon tries to find way out• Americans leave 1973-5• Death toll:– 1-3 million Vietnamese– 58,220 Americans

War Exposes Rift

• Conservatives: war critics are unpatriotic• “Acid, amnesty, and abortion”• Nixon wins 1972 landslide

1970s Malaise

• Inflation• High gas prices• Unemployment• Wounded national confidence

Watergate

• Revealed after 1972 election• Extensive campaign of “dirty tricks”• Burglary of Watergate Hotel

Impact

• 1974: Nixon forced to resign• Dems benefit from GOP unpopularity• But scandal deepens skepticism toward gov’t

America’s Soul-Searching

• 1976: Jimmy Carter, GA Gov., becomes prez• Promises return to honest gov’t• But beset by crises

Iran Hostage Crisis

• 1979: Revolutionaries seize Americans• Carter’s rescue mission bungled• Big embarrassment

Big Picture

• America looks weak• Conservatives want return to traditional

values and military strength• Rise of Ronald Reagan

The Perfect Storm

• Conservatives fight ERA, gay rights, sex ed• Idea of moral decline• Bad economy and foreign policy failures