Changes

Johnson was a tough Texan used to giving orders and destroying anyone who got in his way.  His tricks included personal accusations and threats, and even sending opponents on foreign trips at a time when a key vote was scheduled, so they could not vote against it.  Johnson became so famous for his confrontational tactics that it even acquired a name:  "The Treatment," which consisted of Johnson confronting an adversary and berating him with Johnson's face only inches from his opponent.

Johnson was a tough Texan used to giving orders and destroying anyone who got in his way.  His tricks included personal accusations and threats, and even sending opponents on foreign trips at a time when a key vote was scheduled, so they could not vote against it.  Johnson became so famous for his confrontational tactics that it even acquired a name:  "The Treatment," which consisted of Johnson confronting an adversary and berating him with Johnson's face only inches from his opponent.

But his own arrogance, manipulation and intimidating tactics became his undoing.  In the fall of 1964, Johnson was up for reelection and he unjustifiably feared defeat. <more>  

But Johnson's own arrogance, manipulation and intimidating tactics became his undoing.  In the fall of 1964, Johnson was up for reelection and, like many presidents before him, he became paranoid about the possibility of defeat. The Republican Party nominated the conservative Barry Goldwater, and he was delivering tough, uncompromising speeches against Johnson.  Johnson, who was completely self-centered, watched public opinion polls closely and he <>.

He increased greatly our involvement in the Vietnam War, but would not let the military generals direct the war in a manner to win it.  Instead, President Johnson would issue the orders for bombings and military maneuvers from the White House.  Unfortunately, he didn’t know much about war, particularly guerrilla warfare.

Johnson then sparked and exaggerated a conflict in Vietnam in order to increase public support for his leadership.  The popularity of a president always increases when America is attacked.  The problem was the facts:  the American destroyer USS Maddox attacked three North Vietnamese P-4 torpedo boats before they could attack us.  Days later a completely false report of an attack on the Maddox by the North Vietnamese was publicized.  Johnson presented this false information to Congress in order to obtain passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which granted Johnson the power to assist South Vietnam against communist aggression.  Based on Truman Doctrine, this was not a declaration of war, but Johnson used it to support injecting the United States into the Vietnam War and to win reelection in 1964 in a landslide.

Vietnam is a huge country:  81 million people, more than North and South Korea combined.  Vietnam is also a jungle.  The Communists had planted land mines everywhere.  A substantial percentage of our casualties in the Vietnam War were from stepping on land mines.   

Vietnam is a huge country:  81 million people, more than North and South Korea combined.  Vietnam is also a jungle.  The Communists had planted land mines everywhere.  A substantial percentage of our casualties in the Vietnam War were from stepping on land mines.  Between 1964 and 1975, when our last troops left, 58,000 American soldiers lost their lives and hundreds of thousands were severely injured.  Unlike today, the mandatory draft was used to compel these young men to fight in this war.

Vietnam 1964-75: Americans lose 58k in fighting Communists. eventually Americans give up and leave

The United States entered the war on the side of South Vietnam against the communist North Vietnamese, who were backed by China and the Soviet Union.  America won every battle we fought.  But in the jungle warfare, we were not any closer to winning the war after years of struggle.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution "1964: Beginning of Vietnam just prior to 1964 elections, based on Truman Doctrine"

President Johnson mishandled everything about the war.  He became obsessed with bombing North Vietnam, but wouldn’t let our generals win the war completely.  Instead, LBJ insisted on ordering some bombing raids here and there without doing what was necessary to win the war.  Later politicians swore that we should never repeat the mistake of Vietnam, which means we should never enter a war unless we are committed to doing what is necessary to win it.  Later Presidents also avoided Johnson’s mistake of dictating detailed military strategy from the White House.

Tet Offensive 1968-69: North Vietnamese raid 39 of 44 provincial capitals

Paris peace talks 1972-73: talks to end Vietnam War

We did not run the war any better under President Richard Nixon, who was the next president after Johnson.  We would win a battle and then our leaders, particularly Nixon's adviser Henry Kissinger, would call for a "cease-fire" to discuss settlement.  But the Communists had no intention of settling, and they would just use the cease-fires to obtain replacement of all their ammunition and supplies from China and the Soviet Union.  Some of our military leaders could have done better also.  Many of our planes were shot down early in the war, including the one carrying John McCain, and it took years before we improved and better protected our pilots.  We did not anticipate or sweep the territory for land mines as well as we do today, although the jungle in Vietnam made that more difficult than a desert.

War Powers Act "1973: Post-Vietnam, Congress says Pres. must get its approval w/in 60 days"

The war, and particularly the draft, became hugely unpopular.  People from all walks of life began protesting against in the United States.  They caused disruption at colleges.  The protests became bigger and bigger.  At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968, hippies caused massive riots that were brutally suppressed by Democratic Mayor Richard Daley, which was a political disaster for the Democratic Party.  The "Chicago Seven," the hippie ringleaders of the riots, were convicted for disrupting the convention but their convictions were overturned on appeal. Democrats had hoped to nominate Robert Kennedy, the brother of the late President John Kennedy, had Robert Kennedy was assassinated in June by a disgruntled immigrant from the Middle East (Jordan).  The Democrats then nominated Vice President Hubert Humphrey instead. 

Democratic National Conv. "1968: protest riots in Chicago that were suppressed by Mayor Daley, publicity hurt Dems"

President Nixon did not handle the war any better than Johnson had.

In 1969, Nixon tried "Vietnamization", which consisted of America giving planes to South Vietnam so it could defend itself against the communists; this strategy was unsuccessful.  Henry Kissinger, a foreign-born adviser to Nixon who essentially ran the Nixon Administration, settled the war in the Paris peace talks in 1972-73 on terms that required the United States to pull out.  North Vietnam then took over South Vietnam, and the final pictures were of South Vietnamese desperately trying to board the last planes bound for America.

Chicago Seven hippies tried and convicted for disrupting Dem. 1968 conven. (overturned on appeal)

To avoid a repeat of involvement in a war without a formal declaration of war, as happened in the Vietnam War (and in the Korean War), Congress passed the War Powers Act. It requires that the President obtain the approval of Congress within 60 days of using troops in battle in a foreign conflict.

New York Times v. U.S. "1971: denies Pres. power to stop publication of Pentagon Papers (a secret, embarrassing study of US in Vietnam)"

'''Debate: Should Muhammad Ali have been allowed to avoid the draft?'''

In 1971, in ''New York Times v. U.S.'', the Supreme Court denied President Nixon the power to stop publication of the Pentagon Papers, which was a secret document prepared by the government that had been leaked to the press.  It contained an embarrassing study of American involvement in Vietnam.

 

 

We entered the war on the side of South Vietnam against the North Vietnamese, who were backed by China and the Soviet Union.  We won every battle we fought.  But in the jungle warfare, we were not any closer to winning after years of struggle.

 

Our leaders mishandled everything about the war. We would win a battle and then our leaders would call for a “cease-fire” to discuss settlement. But the Communists had no intention of settling, and they would just use the cease-fires to obtain replacement of all their ammunition and supplies from China and the Soviet Union. 

 

The war became hugely unpopular, and people from all walks of life began protesting against in the United States.  They caused disruption at colleges.  The protests became bigger and bigger.  Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson was in the White House, but he just kept fighting the war.  He became obsessed with bombing North Vietnam, but wouldn’t let our generals win the war completely.  Instead, LBJ insisted on ordering some bombing raids here and there without doing what was necessary to win the war.  Later politicians swore that we should never repeat the mistake of Vietnam, which means we should never enter a war unless we are committed to doing what is necessary to win it.  Later Presidents also avoided Johnson’s mistake of dictating detailed military strategy from the White House.

==Election of 1968==

==Election of 1968==