The Growing Peace Movement

What was the growing peace movement in the USA?

A poll in August 1965 showed that 61 per cent of the US population supported American troops in Vietnam. The public bought into the importance of containing the spread of communism and both Johnson and Kennedy had strong mandates to act against it. However, a peace movement against the war began to grow in the late 1960s.

When did the peace movement in the USA grow?

The anti-war movement began to grow significantly between 1965 and 1967, coinciding with the start of Operation Rolling Thunder and the mass bombings of North Vietnam.

Where did the peace movement in the USA grow?

By 1967 there were protests all over America. A famous one in October 1967 saw over 100,000 demonstrators protest at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. It later continued outside the Pentagon, where there were violent clashes between protesters and soldiers.

Why did the peace movement in the USA grow?

There were a number of reasons the peace movement grew in the USA:

• ❖ Some protestors questioned the morality of America's involvement.
• ❖ The broadcast of images from the war on television had an impact on people's views.
• ❖ Martin Luther King, the civil rights leader, had an impact on people's views.
• ❖ There was a lack of progress in President Johnson's 'Great Society' policies.
• ❖ The war was costing a lot, both financially and in terms of lives lost.
• ❖ The draft system increased people's opposition to the war.

Why did questions over the morality of America's involvement in Vietnam cause a growth in the peace movement in the USA?

People questioned the morality of America's tactics in Vietnam and asked why America was involved in the affairs of another country on a different continent. America was not simply helping South Vietnam defend itself; it had attacked North Vietnam. Many saw this as the action of an aggressor.

What was broadcast on television about the Vietnam War, leading to a growth in the peace movement in the USA?

Day after day, American television showed the reality of the Vietnam War. People saw a lot of disturbing images.

• ❖ They saw villages being blown up.
• ❖ They saw the jungle being napalmed.
• ❖ They heard reports of massacres where civilians were tortured, raped and murdered, such as at My Lai.
• ❖ They heard of young American soldiers being injured or killed by the barbaric Vietcong booby traps.
• ❖ They saw mounting numbers of body bags arriving home from the war.

Why did the portrayal of the war on television cause a growth in the peace movement in the USA?

The television images of the Vietnam War shocked people, and added weight to questions over the morality of America's involvement in the war. People did not think it was in America's interests to continue.

Why did the role of Martin Luther King cause a growth in the peace movement across the USA?

The role of Martin Luther King led to a growth in the peace movement in the USA for a number of reasons:

• ❖ He spoke out about inequalities in the recruitment of troops. Between 1966 and 1969, 246,000 men were recruited to fight in Vietnam; 41 per cent were black Americans, yet they only made up 11 per cent of America's population. By 1968, black Americans made up 12 per cent of the army, but 50 per cent of men serving on the frontline.
• ❖ King argued the war was immoral, saying the money spent on fighting in Vietnam should go towards domestic programmes to improve the lives of Americans.

Why did pressure on President Johnson to fulfil his election promise of a 'Great Society' lead to a growth in the peace movement?

In 1964, Johnson had campaigned on a programme of improving housing, education, healthcare and employment - the 'Great Society'. People became frustrated as there was little progress, yet the costs of the war were spiralling. Money earmarked for raising living standards was used to fund the war instead.

Why did the cost of the war lead to a growth in the peace movement?

The cost of the war led to a growth in the peace movement for 3 main reasons:

• ❖ The war was a huge financial burden on the USA. By 1967 it cost $30 billion per year. This meant other important areas of the economy, such as domestic reform, were neglected.
• ❖ Families across America were paying a high price in terms of the loved ones they lost. By the end of 1967 there were 500,000 US soldiers in Vietnam, and 40,000 more sent each month. 15,000 troops had lost their lives and 110,000 were wounded.
• ❖ For those soldiers who were injured, the war cost them their quality of life. Many lost limbs and were wheelchair-bound for the rest of their lives. Many suffered from post-traumatic stress.

Why did the draft lead to a growth in the peace movement?

Many young men recruited to fight in Vietnam as a result of the draft resented being forced to fight a war they did not agree with.

How did people protest as the peace movement grew in the USA?

As the peace movement grew people protested in a number of ways:

• ❖ A group of university students established 'Students for Democratic Society' and protested through 'teach ins'. They held debates and lectures, and sang songs against the war.
• ❖ In October 1967, 100,000 people protested at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
• ❖ Veterans of the war established 'Vietnam Veterans Against the War'. They protested by throwing away the medals they had received.
• ❖ Many young men called up by the draft burned their draft cards very publicly.
• ❖ Student protests involved over 40,000 students chanting 'Hey, hey, LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?', aimed as a criticism at President Johnson. Many people believed he had the blood of both US soldiers and Vietnamese civilians on his hands.

What was the impact of the growing peace movement on the war in Vietnam?

The growing peace movement in the USA had a significant impact on the war.

• ❖ The personal criticism upset Johnson, so much so he declared that he would not run in the next presidential election in 1968.
• ❖ The peace movement was a significant factor in the USA's withdrawal from Vietnam in the 1970s, under President Nixon.