In the mid-1960s, the United States government felt it was necessary to increase military assistance in South Vietnam in order to protect the region from Communist North Vietnam. US officials feared that Communism would soon spread across the world without military intervention. In the eyes of the American public, the war efforts appear successful until 1968 when the Vietcong issued an attack on South Vietnam known as the Tet Offensive. Although the attack itself wasn’t very successful, it reveal to the American public that US war efforts in Vietnam weren’t going as well as the government was conveying. On January 30, 1968, during a designated ceasefire in observation of the Tet holiday, the Vietcong attacked South Vietnam. The style, in
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The Tet Offensive led them to realize that they were receiving false information from government officials. This incident decreased support for the Vietnamese war efforts as a whole. The media took advantage of these discrepancies and began televising the cruel actions displayed by South Vietnamese leaders, which continued to lessen American support for the presence of troops in the region. Although the Tet Offensive wasn’t necessarily a success for the Vietcong, the effort was a strategic victory. If their efforts could convince the US to leave the region in order to please the citizens of their country, then they would be able to defeat the South Vietnamese government. Not only did Americans insist on the removal of troops, but they also demonstrated an overall resentment of US intervention in the region. President Johnson responded to this concern with an announcement that he would begin negotiations with North Vietnam in an effort to end the war. However, in order to prevent politics from swaying his actions, he decided not to run to reelection when the time came. That decision opened the door for President Nixon to gain office through false promises regarding his intentions to continue to try and put an end to the Vietnam …show more content…
Once this information became available to the American public, they began to realize that Nixon was expanding the war, rather than attempting to end it like he had promised. At this point, however, the American public was still torn between two opinions; some believe that they needed to immediately end the war efforts and others who felt that it was necessary for the US to remain involved in order to keep their international standing. It wasn’t until 1971 when the American public really developed a substantial opposition of the war efforts. Confidential reports, known as the Pentagon Papers, were released to the public detailing the extent of government misinformation regarding the Vietnam War. The US government has falsified enemy death counts, civilian casualties, and information regarding the revolt of US troops. This incident combined with the effects of the Tet Offensive strengthen the antiwar movement, which eventually convinced Nixon to end the draft and reducing the number of troops in Vietnam. It was at this point that Nixon finally gave way to the American public and began peace negotiations with North
The Tet Offensive led them to realize that they were receiving false information from government officials. This incident decreased support for the Vietnamese war efforts as a whole. The media took advantage of these discrepancies and began televising the cruel actions displayed by South Vietnamese leaders, which continued to lessen American support for the presence of troops in the region. Although the Tet Offensive wasn’t necessarily a success for the Vietcong, the effort was a strategic victory. If their efforts could convince the US to leave the region in order to please the citizens of their country, then they would be able to defeat the South Vietnamese government. Not only did Americans insist on the removal of troops, but they also demonstrated an overall resentment of US intervention in the region. President Johnson responded to this concern with an announcement that he would begin negotiations with North Vietnam in an effort to end the war. However, in order to prevent politics from swaying his actions, he decided not to run to reelection when the time came. That decision opened the door for President Nixon to gain office through false promises regarding his intentions to continue to try and put an end to the Vietnam …show more content…
Once this information became available to the American public, they began to realize that Nixon was expanding the war, rather than attempting to end it like he had promised. At this point, however, the American public was still torn between two opinions; some believe that they needed to immediately end the war efforts and others who felt that it was necessary for the US to remain involved in order to keep their international standing. It wasn’t until 1971 when the American public really developed a substantial opposition of the war efforts. Confidential reports, known as the Pentagon Papers, were released to the public detailing the extent of government misinformation regarding the Vietnam War. The US government has falsified enemy death counts, civilian casualties, and information regarding the revolt of US troops. This incident combined with the effects of the Tet Offensive strengthen the antiwar movement, which eventually convinced Nixon to end the draft and reducing the number of troops in Vietnam. It was at this point that Nixon finally gave way to the American public and began peace negotiations with North