What was the connection between student unrest and the Vietnam War, how did one

Position:Home>History> What was the connection between student unrest and the Vietnam War, how did one

Question:

and also what were the political and social outcomes at the end of the Vietnam War!.
Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Students were protesting over civil rights, rights for women and other issues, but it was the war that made student unrest really take off!. Student unrest received wide media attention, and eventually spread beyond the students to the general population!. Even those who disagreed with the students were unhappy with the government for allowing so much disruption!.

The Republicans lost power (briefly)!. There was lasting mistrust of Washington!. The press became much more aggressive toward politicians!. Rights for women and minorities improved!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Many people, including college students, opposed our involvement in the VietNam War!. (Unlike the 2003 invasion of Iraq, our involvement in VietNam developed gradually, beginning with volunteers only, in an advisory capacity, and growing into full-fledged war only after the Gulf of Tonkin incident in the summer of 1964!.) The fact that the country still had a draft at that time increased student opposition!. Demonstrators often displayed signs reading, "Not with our lives, you don't," and chanted, "Hell no, we won't go!" On March 31, 1968, Lyndon Johnson, who had been President at the time of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, announced in the same speech that he had opened negotiations for peace talks and that he would not run for another term!. During the administration of his successor, Richard Nixon, a so-called peace was negotiated, and U!. S!. troops were withdrawn in early 1973!. President Nixon also ended the draft!. (Johnson died at his home in Texas during the final negotioations, and Nixon soon threafter began ending many of Johnson's Great Society domestic prgrams!.) However, the war continued, and South VietNam fell to the North in 1975!. Many Vietnamese refugees, as well as ones from Laos and Cambodia, ended up in the U!. S!., Once the war and the draft were both ended, the national mood swung to the right,Www@QuestionHome@Com

Interesting question!. Wish I could give you a simple solution!. I'll try to be brief!.

Student unrest over Vietnam conflict was due to unprecendented media coverage which showed in much more detail than ever before the horrors of war!. Combine this with the fact we did not have a "Pearl Harbor" experience to unite the country and you have an excellent recipe for student unrest!.

This is not to downplay those students who served in Vietnam!. They served their country with as much valor and bravery as any time in US history!. But because we didn't have a strong rallying point (a distinct point in time plus a distinct enemy such as Pearl Harbor and the empire of Japan) people felt more emboldened to criticize the war as it continued to go on with no apparent victory in sight!.

Student rallies protesting the war got media coverage which encouraged more protesting!.

That's about as succinct as I can get!. Hope it helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I agree with Candy but what she failed to mentioned was that the Vietnam War was at the forefront of the war and unlike today's volunteer armed forces the draft was still going strong and hundreds of young men were seen dying on the 5 oclock news programs!. Most of the protesters were protesting the war and the draft!. The Peace symbol became known to the troops as the "track of the american chicken" many Draft dodgers went to Canada where there were given sanctuary!. Today Canada sent back deserters from the Iraq/Afghan wars!. Actaually the Dems lost the presidency to Nixon who made good on his pledge to pull the troops out!. Kennedy and Johnson took us into and escalated the war!. The civil rights movement was in full swing and all in all the 60s-70s were a turbulent decadeWww@QuestionHome@Com