3. LEARNING INTENTIONS
• Explain why many people in the USA
opposed the Vietnam War
• Describe anti-war protests which took
place

4. Many Americans had originally supported the war as
part of the fight against Communism. But soon
opposition to the war started to grow.

5. Many of the most
vocal campaigners
were young
students.
They were partly
inspired by the
Hippy
movement, which
believed in peace
and love.

6. Many protests took place
on university campuses;
some ended in violence,
with students killed
(Kent State University).
US President Richard
Nixon said the only
people opposed to the
war were ‘campus bums’.

7. However many people –
not just students –
opposed the war, for
their own reasons.
One major reason was
that some people –
including returning
soldiers – thought it
was impossible to win
a guerrilla war.

8. TV coverage and
photographs inspired
opposition too.
Vietnam was the first
major war covered on TV.
What Americans saw,
especially at My Lai,
meant they wanted the
war to stop.

9. Some people can
concerns because of
damage to the
environment.
The USA used various
dangerous chemicals –
including Agent Orange
– which not only
killed people but
caused birth defects.

10. Money played a role in
public opposition too.
Fighting in Vietnam was
very expensive. As a
result, US President
Lyndon Johnson raised
taxes to pay for it.
This angered many
Americans.

11. The number of soldiers
dying angered people
too.
In 1967 Vietnam
Veterans Against the
War was launched.
14,000 soldiers had
died by 1968.

12. The Civil Rights
Movement was also
important too.
Many black Americans
felt that as long as
they were treated badly,
they did not want to
fight for their country.

13. Many Americans were
opposed because of
conscription.
‘The draft’ forced
young men to join the
army. However some
rich young men bought
their way out.
Muhammad Ali famously
refused to fight.

14. There were many
different types of
protests.
Some were found on
university campuses,
others in public
demonstrations. Many
famous songs opposed the
war too.

15. There was no single
reason or group
responsible for
opposition to the war.
All of these groups
played a part and, as
they gained support,
forced America to
withdraw from the war.