Reports of chemical warfare and war crimes provoked the biggest reaction from the American public. The use of the chemical, Agent Orange that caused babies to be born deformed and war crimes such as the torture of prisoners, was seen as so inhumane they undermined the reason for Americans being there. The America government went to war to save Vietnam from the ‘evils of communism’ but it appeared they were fighting the war without any ethics at all. This opinion was emphasised by reports of such incidents as the destruction of the village, My Lai, where an entire Vietnamese village of civilians were massacred including many women and children. Similarly, reports about the use of napalm by the US army to destroy the forests shocked the world. Napalm was a chemical that burnt so fiercely that any human caught in its path suffered horrific burns. Photographs and reports of such events provided more incentive for the American people to protest.
As the war continued the media coverage made it appear the Americans were losing. The most obvious example is the Tet offensive in 1968. This was a surprise attack launched by the Vietcong on the Americans. In military terms it was a victory for the US army as 37,000 Vietcong were killed compared to 2,500 Americans but the media made it appear the Americans lost. The reality was that it was just a shock to the US army because the Vietcong had been able to send 70,000 men into battle having suffered heavy losses in 1967. The media coverage was a significant factor but not the only one.
The financial aspects of the war affected everyone in America. The war was costing the American government $66 million a day so were forced to increase income taxes and cut financial backing for schemes put in place to reduce poverty. Obviously increases in taxes angered people but cutting back on the poverty reduction scheme caused uproar, especially among ethnic minorities. Black people were the racial group suffering from the greatest poverty in the USA at this time. However, this was not the only reason black people were so opposed to the war. The conscription system excluded people at college which meant that the working class, including many black people, were forced to fight. The injustice of this situation was added to by the fact many felt it would be more appropriate for black people to fight for their own rights in their own country. It not surprising there were many violent riots by black people in the late sixties.
The draft continued to cause distress for everyone who had already lost friends and family as they died because they were forced to fight in the war. There was additional distress because many soldiers were sent home mentally ill or physically disabled. Others came home with experiences that changed them forever. The mother of a soldier accused of involvement in the My Lai massacre said, “I sent them (US army) a good boy, and they made him a murderer.”
It is easy to see why so many people were against the war. The war seemed to be uncontrolled, full of brutal atrocities, it was costing the USA an incredibly large amount of money and many people had suffered personal losses. All of this was in a war that seemed to be unnecessary so it incited even more anger. The Americans went in to Vietnam not because of an immediate danger to their own country but because they were afraid of Asia becoming a communist threat. The American government believed strongly in the domino theory that if one country became communist its neighbours would soon follow. It was for this reason that America went into Korea in 1950 where 142,000 US soldiers were killed. Some Americans were understandably sceptical about going into Vietnam and showed their disapproval; as the war continued more and more Americans joined the protest.
The first anti-war march took place in 1964 with 25,000 involved. However, as the war progressed the numbers taking part in demonstrations increased to 500 000. One of the most popular methods of protest was men publicly burning their draft card. This was a criminal offence and by 1970, 34 000 men were wanted by the police for refusing to fight. One of the most significant forms of protest came from the soldiers. Between 1960 and 1973, 503,926 American soldiers deserted. They were involved in the fighting and had experienced first hand the atrocities so refused to fight in a war where no morality was apparent.
There were people who were prepared to sacrifice their life in protest. Three American citizens set themselves alight in 1965 following the example of Thich Quang Duc, the Buddhist monk who immolated himself to protest against Diem’s harsh regime in South Vietnam. The extremity of their protests symbolises their fury at the US involvement in Vietnam.
When US troops invaded neutral Cambodia in 1970, to attack the Vietcong bases, it seemed to the public that this would soon escalate into a situation similar Vietnam. Student protests began all over the USA and at Kent State University in Ohio, four students were killed when the National Guard opened fire on the protestors. This caused so much outrage it provoked even more demonstrations and strikes.
It is obvious the demonstrations and strong opposition felt by the American people applied pressure on the government to end its involvement. However, there were other reasons. The conflict in Vietnam cost billions and billions of dollars. Additionally the government had provided financial support to South Vietnam before the war. The American economy was very strong but America would be unable to support the war indefinitely. Furthermore the American army were trapped in a war of attrition where no immediate victory was in sight. The Vietcong fought with guerrilla tactics which were very effective in the dense forests of Vietnam. However, the Americans were ineffective and inexperienced in fighting in such a difficult terrain climate. Another problem facing the US army was the low morale of the remaining troops. Most of the soldiers simply aimed to survive each day and evade capture by the Vietcong. They did not believe in the war, whereas their enemy was fighting with passion for their independence as they had done for years. When the American troops had to fight they fought without inspiration or determination.
The final contributing factor to the withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973 was the president, Richard Nixon. He was in office from 1968 to 1974 and had been elected on the promise of withdrawing from Vietnam; if he wanted to be re-elected he needed to fulfil this promise. In 1969 the first troops were brought home and this continued until the remaining troops left in 1973.