2/28/2016

Explain the message of this political cartoon
from the Johnson administration
•I am the ghost
of Vietnam Past
President
Johnson
•I am the ghost
of the urban
present
•I am the ghost
of Middle East
future
Outcomes of the war
In late March 1968, a disgraced
Lyndon Johnson announced that he
would not seek the Democratic
Party's re-nomination for president
 hinted that he would go to the
bargaining table with the
Communists to end the war.
 Negotiations began in the spring of
1968, but the Democratic Party could
not rescue the presidency from
Republican challenger
 Richard Nixon who claimed he had
a secret plan to end the war.

1
2/28/2016

Nixon's secret plan
involved a process called
“Vietnamization.”
 This strategy brought
American troops home
while increasing the air war
over North Vietnam and
relying more on the South
Vietnamese Army for
ground attacks.
 Who was Nixon referring to as the “Silent
majority”
 Why were they considered Silent
 Silent Majority Video


In early January 1973, the Nixon
White House convinced Saigon
that they would not abandon
the South Vietnamese Army if
they signed the Peace Accord.
 On January 23, the final draft
was initialed, ending open
hostilities between the United
States and North Vietnam.
The Paris Peace Agreement did
not end the conflict in Vietnam
 Saigon continued to battle
Communist forces.
2
2/28/2016


From March 1973 until the fall
of Saigon on April 30, 1975,
the South Vietnamese Army
tried desperately to save the
South from political and
military collapse.
The end finally came when
North Vietnamese tanks rolled
south along National Highway
One.
 On the morning of April 30,
Communist forces captured
the Presidential Palace in
Saigon, ending the Vietnam
War.
 The first news real has an overall optimistic tone
to it. List three things about the video that give it
that tone (leave you feeling good about the war)
 The second news real has an overall pessimistic
tone to it. List three things about the video that
give it that tone
1st Video



2nd Video
It was hard to quantify how close America
was to victory in Vietnam. No set battle lines
to measure.
The lack of full Congressional approval didn’t
help
The Vietnam War occurred in a different
American culture
3
2/28/2016
Conclusion

The long debate over lowering the voting age in
America from 21 to 18 began during World War II
and intensified during the Vietnam War, when
young men denied the right to vote were being
drafted to fight for their country.
 Amid increasing support for a Constitutional
Amendment, Congress passed the 26th Amendment
in March 1971; the states promptly ratified it, and
President Richard M. Nixon signed it into law that
July.

Begin working on the War Powers Act of 1973
handout
4
2/28/2016

Describe factors that lead to Vietnam being
such a difficult war to fight, manage, or
explain.
 Topics can include
▪ News coverage
▪ Guerilla tactics
▪ Political difficulty
▪ Congressional backing
5