Early support for the Vietnam War
In the early years of the war, most Americans agreed with the reasons for the involvement of the USA. There was a fear of An economic system in which all means of production such as tools, factories and raw materials, are owned by the community as a whole. Each individual contributes according to their ability and receives according to their needs. This means there is no hierarchy of social class., which was seen as a threat to the American The economic idea that countries should be run based on private business, trade, stocks and shares, and profit. way of life. Americans also believed in An American idea that if one country fell to communism, others would follow - like a row of dominoes. was accurate and supported US policies to stop the spread of communism in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
- Support also came from Organised associations that protect the interests of workers when negotiating hours, wages, conditions, etc. May also be known as labour unions. leaders, who saw that the war provided vital jobs in defence-related industries.
- Additionally, members of The legislative body of the US government, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. felt that the Gulf of Tonkin incident meant that the USA had to show its military power.
- As a result, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed through Congress in 1964. This enabled the US to actively assist South-East Asian countries, who were at risk of communist aggression, without the need for a formal declaration of war.
In 1965, a poll of US citizens showed that only 23 per cent of Americans thought it was a mistake to send troops to Vietnam.
Growing opposition to the war
At the start of the war, there was a small anti-war movement and there were a few public protests against American involvement. However, as the war went on and American involvement increased, increasing numbers of people joined protest groups to try to stop it. Mostly, the protestors agreed with the ideas behind the war but thought that the government and military had made serious mistakes. Some of the main anti-war groups in the USA were:
- Academics - Had a broad range of criticisms of the war. Many argued for peaceful talks in Vietnam rather than military involvement.
- Students - Many joined the group Students for a Democratic Society Students for a Democratic Society. An organisation that campaigned to allow students to have more say over what they were taught and how they were treated at university. as they believed that the war was undemocratic. Many argued that the USA seemed to be acting like an old The policy of gaining control over a previously independent country and occupying it with settlers. power, enforcing its will on the people of another country. In 1965, the SDS announced its formal opposition to the war.
- Civil rightsPeople who actively campaign for a cause. - Leaders like A Christian minister who believed in peaceful protest without using violence and who was a key figure in the US civil rights movement. thought that the The process where men were selected for compulsory military service. unfairly targeted minorities and that the war was a waste of money. A high percentage of black Americans were drafted into the armed forces because fewer of them went to college and college students were exempt from the draft. The civil rights activists also disagreed with the US fighting a war to keep the corrupt South Vietnamese government in power.
- Women - Many women criticised the USA joining the war particularly because of the impact the war had on the people of Vietnam. Women's organisations such as the Women's International Leaguse for Peace and Women Strike for Peace campaigned against US involvement. However, other women volunteered to join the war effort - often working as nurses and administrators.
- US congresspeople - Some questioned the facts the president gave them and criticised the way the war was being fought. They objected to the loss of civilian life through the use of the Chemicals used to kill leaves on trees and plants. Agent Orange. They also disagreed with the bombing of North Vietnam.
- Ordinary taxpayers - some Americans objected to the enormous cost of the war, especially as casualties rose and the war proved difficult to win.
Methods of opposition
The anti-war movement was a very diverse group. Its members used various tactics to show that the war was unpopular and to try to change government policy. The table below shows some of the most popular methods of opposition.
| Method | Definition | Example |
| Teach-ins | Overnight lectures or discussions | March 1965 - 3,000 people attended overnight lectures at the University of Michigan |
| Marches | Mostly peaceful marches through major cities | October 1967: over 75,000 attended a march at the Lincoln Memorial |
| Moratorium | A strike where protestors raised awareness of the war through discussions, marches, vigils and other methods | October 1969: a nationwide moratorium involving 2 million people |
| Campaigns | An attempt to spread the anti-war message to more people | 1967: the Vietnam Summer was held with 26,000 volunteers visiting people door to door, like in the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964 |
| International meetings | Mass meetings with protestors coming together to share their reasons for opposition | 1968: 10,000 people attended the International Vietnam Congress at West Berlin Technical University |
| Political pressure | Politicians opposed the US鈥檚 involvement in the war | February 1966: Senator James Fulbright began chairing a number of US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings, which were set up upon President Johnson鈥檚 request for an additional $400 million to pay for the war |
| Political action | Anti-war congresspeople were able to pass laws to limit the president鈥檚 actions | 1970: the Cooper-Church Amendment limited where the president could deploy troops |
| Method | Teach-ins |
|---|---|
| Definition | Overnight lectures or discussions |
| Example | March 1965 - 3,000 people attended overnight lectures at the University of Michigan |
| Method | Marches |
|---|---|
| Definition | Mostly peaceful marches through major cities |
| Example | October 1967: over 75,000 attended a march at the Lincoln Memorial |
| Method | Moratorium |
|---|---|
| Definition | A strike where protestors raised awareness of the war through discussions, marches, vigils and other methods |
| Example | October 1969: a nationwide moratorium involving 2 million people |
| Method | Campaigns |
|---|---|
| Definition | An attempt to spread the anti-war message to more people |
| Example | 1967: the Vietnam Summer was held with 26,000 volunteers visiting people door to door, like in the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964 |
| Method | International meetings |
|---|---|
| Definition | Mass meetings with protestors coming together to share their reasons for opposition |
| Example | 1968: 10,000 people attended the International Vietnam Congress at West Berlin Technical University |
| Method | Political pressure |
|---|---|
| Definition | Politicians opposed the US鈥檚 involvement in the war |
| Example | February 1966: Senator James Fulbright began chairing a number of US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings, which were set up upon President Johnson鈥檚 request for an additional $400 million to pay for the war |
| Method | Political action |
|---|---|
| Definition | Anti-war congresspeople were able to pass laws to limit the president鈥檚 actions |
| Example | 1970: the Cooper-Church Amendment limited where the president could deploy troops |
Reasons for the large anti-war movement
The anti-war movement gathered so much support because the war affected many people. One of the biggest criticisms concerned the draft system, which resulted in more poor people and minority groups serving in the war. This led to draft-card-burning protests and large numbers of A member of the armed forces who leaves active service without permission and with the intention of not returning., who fled to places such as Canada. Among those who refused to be drafted was the world heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali.
Opposition to the draft by famous figures such as Ali created a large amount of publicity. Even more important, however, was the fact that the war in Vietnam was the first to have footage broadcast on US television every night. Most Americans initially saw their country as a force for good in Vietnam. However, the newly revealed horrors of war upset many Americans and led to increased support for the anti-war movement. Images of events in Vietnam made it clear that what the government was telling people was not entirely true. For example, US troops sometimes supported, or took part in, atrocities such as the My Lai Massacre. This was known as the The gap between what the government say and what people find out through the media..