Another event that impacted the public’s view of government dishonesty during this time was President Nixon’s involvement with the infamous Watergate scandal which eventually led to his resignation on August 9, 1974. Furthermore, when President Nixon began his presidency, people believed he would work to bring an end to America’s involvement in the Vietnam. Yet, this was not the case as Nixon increased bombing raids and authorized the invasion of Cambodia. When the war started, the American people were led to believe that the war was a necessity to ensure the protection of the nation as a whole.
This essay will show that the Tet Offensive was a massive defeat for the US. The assessments made before the offensive by the pentagon were judged as the “Credibility Gap” that had opened in 1967 widened and eventually became a massive problem. The “Credibility Gap was a political term that came into wide use during the 1960s and 1970s. At the time, it was most frequently used to describe public scepticism about the Johnson administrations statements and policies on the Vietnam War. The damages from the battlefield continued to widen such as some of the highest casualty counts.
By 1968, however, over half a million US soldiers and marines were fighting in the jungles of South Vietnam and there had been thousands of US casualties. The Vietnam War turned into a major American defeat and helped change US policy in containing Communism. The United States entered the war to stop the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia. American leaders feared that Communist forces would gain control of Vietnam. After that, nation after nation might fall to Communism.
"Peace Train" by: Cat Stevens "Peace Train" is the title of a 1971 hit song by Cat Stevens, taken from his album Teaser and the Firecat. This was a chaotic time in history. The U.S. was still grinding through the Vietnam War, McGovern was running against Nixon for the presidency, and the draft was extended even though it was supposed to end that June. Also, the controversy issues of civil rights and women's rights also demanded attention. As the ’60s came and went, war protesters were still looking to the politicians to right wrongs, fix social issues, and bring the boys home.
However, Johnson believed that it was important to end the conflict in Vietnam. According to him, if such disputes were allowed to continue, the whole world would not be peaceful. This reveals that his desire to end the Vietnam conflict was aimed at ensuring global peace. His critics state that during this time the United States experienced domestic problems, which would have been the priority for the president. The crime rate in the United States soured during the Vietnam War with numerous street protests.
The Media brings the Tet Offensive to the American people c. Lyndon B. Johnson and General Westmoreland 4. Controversy a. My Lai b. The Anti War movement go’s mainstream c. The Soldiers of the United States begin to lose their will to fight 5. Although the Tet Offensive was unsuccessful for the North Vietnamese Army, they showed that United States had seriously underestimated them and their capabilities.
Many of the cities were occupied by Vietcong for many hours, or days. The US and South Vietnamese showed victory in regaining all the cities back, but they suffered many losses and lost almost all the American public support. The TET Offensive showed the American public the truth of Vietnam, and not what the Military wanted the people to hear. To many, the war was a lost cause, a waste of money and resources. Later, in March of 1968 the My Lai Massacre devastated a town of North Vietnamese citizens.
In comparing the seventies era with the present ; I have come to recognize similarities between events of today and the proceedings that occurred almost 40 years ago, both having impacted our nation . The Vietnam War, like the Iraq war, dragged on longer than expected. Because of this, the people within our country became polarized with extreme positions that ultimately divided our national focus. During the 2000‘s, many U.S. citizens expressed their opposition to the war in Iraq. Likewise this sentiment was shared by many politicians and political activist during the Vietnam War era, like the presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy and singer/songwriter John Dylan.
In many ways the Tet Offensive was a turning point in the Vietnam War which led to the withdrawal of American troops; however there is also evidence to suggest otherwise. This is caused by the undeniable fact that America suffered a major loss during the surprise attack but, they also came out on top and survived the ambush. The main reason to agree with this statement is that America heavily suffered from the attack in which many lives were lost, ammunition wasted and the government was shown in a new light. This light was that they were not on top of the Vietcong’s tactics and did not know what they were planning. As well as this the fighting itself was filmed and broadcasted in North Vietnam to show that they had successfully attacked and breached the American defences.
Richard Nixon’s election to Presidency of the United States in 1968, marked a turning point in American foreign policy and a new strategic approach to the war in Vietnam. It was a war he had inherited from his predecessor, Lyndon Johnson. Domestic support for the war had diminished significantly, with national outpourings of opposition. This prompted Nixon to make his famous ‘silent majority’ speech, where he outlined his position on Vietnam, “After all, we became involved in the war while my predecessor was in office. I could blame the defeat which would have been the result of my action on him and come out as Peacemaker…But I had a greater obligation than to think only of the years of my administration and of the next election.