It was in August 1964 during Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency, DRV forces attacked a US destroyer, Maddox at the Tonkin Gulf. This attack gave LBJ all the ammunition he needed to wage war. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution was passed giving him virtually unlimited powers. A majority of US citizens felt the war was just at this time, 85% believed so. Although there was still 15% who disagreed with the war and this is still a large number of people.
In 1965, a poll showing what the public feel is the most important problem in the country showed that it felt Vietnam was. Following the issues of racial problems and integration. This also coincided with the introduction of conscription. Mothers were seeing their sons of only 18 and 19 who might have never left the state before go all the way to Vietnam. Of those who were dying it was mainly nineteen and twenty year olds, people who the nation saw still as children. The personal feelings of those who knew the dead began to change to one of anti-war in many cases, especially out of the injustice of dying so young.
Due to the uncensored television coverage the people got to see the true nature of war. This influenced people’s views of the war. In 1967 Newsweek showed in a poll that 64% of people thought that from watching the television it made them want to “back up the boys” in Vietnam. Although there was still 24% who were moved to oppose the war. There is not really a significant majority who from seeing the television are pro war. This was not surprising because the horror of the war was relayed to the world on Television every night. During the Tet Offensive of 1960 the people saw the dead, wounded and dying US soldiers and innocent Vietnamese civilians caught up in the fighting every night. The people thought the war was being lost. LBJ had already failed to achieve the planned quick kill. Consequently LBJ’s approval rating fell from 48% to 36%.
LBJ made the election pledge to build a “Great Society”, the people saw this dream was fading as more and more money was ploughed into defence expenditure. Many civil rights leaders felt money spent on Vietnam could be used on a more needy fight. Money could be used on improving the welfare system for example.
People in America received a personal insight into the war, through letters sent by loved ones serving in Vietnam. These letters of course showed the true story, uncensored just as the television coverage was. These letters contained harrowing accounts of life in Vietnam. There was also a growing trend for producing pop songs with anti-war messages, all of these mediums evoked thought among the US population and affected their views on the war.
All of these things leading to protests, although many of whom were students, blacks or well known “Lefties” therefore they were dismissed as either Communists or just unpatriotic. In March 1965 Mrs Alice Hertz paid the ultimate sacrifice in protest to the war. In Detroit, Michigan she burned herself alive. It continued on with more and more protests in the major cities including a march on the Pentagon in 1967. Although these made little headway, it was not until the Spring of 1968 when more “respectable” support began to arrive and then people started to notice. The American Establishment began to revolt: lawyers, bankers, university presidents, the corporation heads, the “articulate elite” of America. For it had become obvious to them Vietnam was not worth the costs socially or economically. With 300 Americans dead a week and $30 thousand million a year.
In December 1967, a senator Eugene McCarthy even announced that he would run as an anti-war candidate for the Democratic Party nomination.
The Tet Offensive of January 1968 finally showed the people that despite the US army’s enormous efforts, it had all been in vain. Hence opposition increased. So in March LBJ announced his decision to not for re-election.
In 1968 it was also the turn of the young people. Students all over Europe and the US protested against the war. One of the most influential was a demonstration at Kent State University, Ohio. Four students were killed by guardsmen whilst demonstrating against the invasion of Cambodia. The reaction to this was greater than that to all the thousands of soldiers who died. This shocked the nation and it was clear that the mood to the war had changed.
There are always differing views to conflict and this was most definitely the case in Vietnam. As the war progressed the mood of the majority changed. Even when 85% thought the war was just we have to remember there was still 15% who disagreed and as the war dragged on, death tolls mounted, more money was flooded in and protests increased so did this number. For some people the war was more personal than others but for those whom it was not were generally pro war.
