Opposition to the war Flashcards

All 8 cards in this deck

Why did the draft system increase opposition to the Vietnam War?

Minorities and young working-class men were more at risk of being called up to fight, so it was seen as unfair.

How did TV and media coverage increase opposition to the Vietnam War?

The public watched distressing images of the fighting and the media reported the scale of the human loss.

Which decision by Nixon caused dramatic growth of the student protest movement across America?

His decision to expand the war into Cambodia (1970).

What happened at Kent State University in 1970?

National Guardsmen shot dead four students during an anti-war protest; shock at American students being killed increased opposition to the war.

Why did public reaction to the My Lai Massacre (1968) increase opposition to the war?

Americans were shocked by what was happening in their name, and by the subsequent cover-up.

Who was Lt. William Calley?

The US officer tried and convicted for his part in the My Lai Massacre; media coverage of his trial escalated opposition to the war.

True or false? Large-scale anti-war protests in America only began after the Kent State shootings in 1970.

False. Large anti-war protests took place well before 1970, such as the March on the Pentagon (1967), and they grew after the Tet Offensive (1968).

What happened at My Lai on 16 March 1968?

US soldiers led by Lt. William Calley killed several hundred unarmed villagers, including women and children. The army hushed it up, and the American public only learned of it in November 1969.