1968+The+Turning+Point

Mara Peoples May 27, 2011 History 8-4


 * 1968 was one of the most important and influential years. It is the Olympic and election years, it is a Turing Point at home and over seas
 * Leading up to 1968:
 * No clear cut winner in the war
 * Increase in American forces in SE Asia
 * Viet Cong proves to be the guiding force in South Vietnam
 * US tries to "pacify" South Vietnam
 * LBJ is a very determined president
 * Optimistic reports are sent back
 * McNamara sees "a light at the end of the tunnel"
 * Overall, the public still supported America in Vietnam
 * The Tet Offensive:
 * an attack on the US stronghold throughout Southern Vietnam by the VC
 * This is all being televised
 * eventually developed into a US victory shook the public, who thought the enemy was close to defeat
 * LBJ stuggles, congress cute his Great Society Budget
 * US involvement in the was is openly criticized
 * New defense Secretary states that the war seems not winnable
 * Walter Cronkite goes to Vietnam to see for himself what is going on in the war
 * LBJ has announced along with a halt of dropping bombs that he is resigning from Presidency
 * MLK is shot and riots began all over the nation
 * Bobby Kennedy is going to run for the Democratic nomination and also might win the election but is shot while giving a victory speech in California
 * Running for democratic nominee is Hubert H. Humphrey against Macarthy, riots in Chicago begin on national television
 * Nixon is going to run for the Republican candidate and George Wallace runs as a independent
 * Tigers win the world series in baseball, 1968 is a crazy year
 * Nixon wins the election but a close election