American History The Vietnam War - 1670 Words

â€Å"Nixon Wins By Thin Margin† read the front page of the New York Times on Thursday November 7th, 1968, two days after Election Day. Richard Nixon won about 4 times the margin he lost to John F. Kennedy in 1960. The craziness that occurred during the election went hand in hand with the chaos of 1968. In this election, there were three candidates: Richard Nixon of the Republican Party, Hubert Humphrey of the Democratic Party, and George Wallace of the American Independent Party. The candidates did not know it at the time, but they would become part of the Presidential Election that would help shape American Politics to what they are today. The election of Richard Nixon in 1968 marked a turning point in the American political ideology,†¦show more content†¦Wallace knew he did not have good odds of wining the election. His goal, instead, was to win enough electoral votes to prevent either of the other candidates from reaching the 270-vote minimum. This would force eit her a vote in the House of Representatives or a bargaining process for electoral votes, where Wallace would be able to achieve some of his political objectives (â€Å"Nixon Wins† n.pag.). The candidates focused on two main topics: the Vietnam War and civil unrest. Each candidate agrees that the civil unrest must be stopped, but George Wallace wanted to end it with segregation while the other two candidates had more practical means. As for the issue of the Vietnam War, LBJ asked all candidates to not speak of their solutions to the Vietnam War for that it would weaken the United States power at the negotiating table. Humphrey stayed silent about his personal ordeal and agrees with LBJs Vietnam War policies. Nixon said he had a secret plan, which was never revealed during the election, to solve the Vietnam War. George Wallace wanted total victory in Vietnam, but if not achieved in ninety days, he would withdraw all troops from Vietnam. A Gallup poll on the 27th of September sho wed Nixon with 43% of the vote, Humphrey with 28%, and Wallace with 21% (White 412). The Wallace Campaign, due to General LeMays comments on theShow MoreRelatedThe Vietnam War Era Of American History1700 Words   |  7 Pages Stanley Karnow describes the Vietnam War era of American history as â€Å"†¦a tragedy of epic dimensions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 1 and it is fair to postulate that this is no understatement. One of the more pertinent ramifications of the Vietnam War was the deconstruction of fundamental, if somewhat illusory, American conceptions and ideals. The war shattered America’s hitherto unshakeable â€Å"confidence†2 in its political hegemony, military prowess and assumed authority in world order, i.e. â€Å"†¦its moral exclusivity, its militaryRead MoreThe Vietnam War And The Long Arms Of American History920 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War is a sore spot in the long arms of American History. Nearly 60,000 Americans died and estimated millions of Vietnamese. It was considered to be the longest war in American history as well. Many questioned the motives and causes of the war calling it an atrocity. Others say that it may have been a terrible effort to defend a noble cause, the spread of communism. The years precluding the Vietnam war, there was a war taking place in Vietnam. It was known as the Indochina War, whereRead MoreAmerican History: The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement719 Words   |  3 PagesThe year was 1972. From events such as the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, the United States was faced with extreme political and social turmoil. Despite Nixon’s promise to end war and unite the country, no one could have predicted that his election would accompany one of the largest political scandals to date. It all began with tape on door latches, finally ending with the resignation of a president and a scandal that echoes in American culture four decades later. Like most scandals,Read More How Can They Succeed?1034 Words   |  5 Pagesis behind him.† In the Vietnam War, many official soldiers and civilians took part in the combat. It started from December 1956 to 1975, nearly 20 years, in Vietnam. The Vietnam War was a war between North V ietnam and government of South Vietnam that United States participated and supported. It was a highlight in Vietnamese history and United States history also which was recorded, commented, discussed, debated in many books, journals and articles. In the South of Vietnam, there was a political organizationRead MoreThe Vietnam War And Its Impact On American Society1082 Words   |  5 PagesThe Vietnam War Millions suffered. Nearly sixty thousand died. Hundreds of thousands protested. The Vietnam War, an event considered to be one of the most important in U.S. history, became one of the most controversial as well. It was the longest battle fought in American history, lasting from Nov 1, 1955 to April 30, 1975. The Vietnam War tainted America’s prideful self-image, becoming the first time the United States had ever failed in accomplishing its objective in war – preserve an independentRead MoreVietnam War and American Culture1684 Words   |  7 Pages Vietnam Wars Impact on American Culture Donna Whittle DeVry University Introduction to Humanities I. Introduction and Thesis Statement In the 1960’s America went through many cultural changes. Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights activist, delivered his famous, â€Å"I have a dream† speech. African Americans were fighting for peace, freedom and equality. The United States was involved in the Vietnam War, committed to anti-communism. African Americans were deployedRead MoreVietnam Propaganda; Planting a Seed in the Mind of American Soldiers785 Words   |  4 Pages Vietnam in 1954 was a country that had nationalism flowing in their veins after the decades of being under French and for a short time the Japanese rule. All the Vietnamese wanted was to be its own country. The North started fighting back the French and did whatever they could to take back their homeland. The French were beginning to feel this under the numerous attacks the Vietnamese started against them. A number of nations met to determine how the French could peacefully withdraw. The GenevaRead MoreProtests Against the Vietna m War996 Words   |  4 Pagesthe country. The Vietnam war was in full force, and students across the country were in an outrage. Society needed an excuse to rebel against the boring and safe way of life they were used to; Vietnam gave them the excuse they needed. Teenagers from different universities came together and formed various organizations that protested the Vietnam war for many reasons. These reasons included protesting weapons and different tactics used in the war, and the reason the U.S. entered the war in the first placeRead MoreHis/135 Week 5 Assignment Vietnam War761 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War is one of America’s longest lasting wars beginning in 1955, and lasting until 1975. The United States became involved in the Vietnam War because of its efforts to stop communism in Southeast Asia. The United States feared that if communist took over Southeast Asia it would cause a domino effect around the world. The United States began sending financial aid and military advisors to South Vietnam to help stop a communist takeover. North Vietnam was run by communist leader Ho Chi MinhRead MoreVietnam War Outcome Influenced by the Media1510 Words   |  7 PagesPaper: The Media and Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a war of mass destruction, leaving Vietnam to become bitterly divided and claiming the many lives of Vietnamese civilians as well as American soldiers. Out of all the wars in American history, the Vietnam War was the first war to be broadly televised and covered by the media. It came to be known as the first â€Å"Television War†. Journalists began to pour into Vietnam from all over the nation, to cover the lives of the American Soldiers as well as