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1960: Early Support for Vietnam Involvement

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1960: Early Support for Vietnam Involvement

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At the start of the 1960s, most Americans supported U.S. involvement in Vietnam and still believed in America's "containment" strategy of combating communism. Public opinion polls showed that 61% of Americans believed the U.S. had not made a mistake by getting involved with boots on the ground in Vietnam.

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Following reported attacks on U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin, Congress passed a resolution giving President Johnson broad war powers. The American public largely supported this action, with the vast majority of Americans backing Johnson's handling of the situation. It is now known that the attack on August 4th was at best a false alarm and possibly something more nefarious, with the only real attack happening 2 days earlier when the U.S.S. Maddox was in North Vietnamese waters, thus negating the justification used that the Maddox had suffered an unprovoked attack.

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7th August 1964: The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by the United States Congress

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Rolling Thunder marked a significant increase in U.S. bombing campaigns against North Vietnam, often targeting the "Ho Chi Minh Trail" to stop the flow of North Vietnamese troops and equipment into the south. Initially, Operation Rolling Thunder received strong public support in the U.S.. However, this marked the beginning of deeper U.S. involvement that would later contribute to growing public discontent.

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1966: Growing Questions and Early Protests

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1966: Growing Questions and Early Protests

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The first major anti-war demonstrations began on college campuses. While most Americans still supported the war, student protests became more frequent and garnered more protestors. The term 'credibility gap' emerged to describe the public's skepticism about official reports on the conflict and military and political leadership.

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January 1968: Tet Offensive Changes Perspectives

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January 1968: Tet Offensive Changes Perspectives

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The Tet Offensive marked a major turning point in public opinion. Despite being a military failure for North Vietnam, the magnitude of the attack shocked the American public and contradicted official claims that the U.S. was close to achieving victory. Support for the war dropped significantly. A video of a South Vietnamese officer executing a suspected Vietcong agent was released to the public and further disturbed Americans at home.

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The largest peaceful demonstration in U.S. history occurred as part of the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam. An estimated 500,000 people marched in Washington, D.C., reflecting growing mainstream opposition to the war.

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May 1970: Kent State Protests Turn Deadly

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May 1970: Kent State Protests Turn Deadly

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Antiwar protests had been revitalized by President Nixon's decision to invade Cambodia just when U.S. involvement had seemed to be winding down. A protest at Kent State University turned tragic when Ohio National Guardmen fired into a crowd and killed 4 students. This event dramatically increased anti-war sentiment and highlighted the deep divisions in American society.

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The New York Times' publication of the Pentagon Papers revealed government deception about the war and validated the public's suspicions that the war was not going as well as they were being told. Daniel Ellsburg, the reporter who leaked the papers to The Times, was arrested and charged under the Espionage Act, but ultimately the charges were dismissed. Polls showed that 69% of Americans now believed the war was a mistake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WmNP6QBSQs

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From the archives: Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers leaker, turns himself in to authorities in 1971

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The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 27th, 1973, effectively ending U.S. involvement in Vietnam. However, the public remained skeptical about the effectiveness of the agreement. A majority of Americans supported the peace settlement despite concerns about its terms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sLxzmvW41o

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2 years after the Paris Peace Accords, North Vietnam launched a massive attack on the south, confident that the U.S. threats of returning if they violated the accords were empty. This confidence was in large part due to the decline in American public support for the War. Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, fell to NVA and Vietcong forces on April 30, 1975, marking the end of the Vietnam War. The American public's perspective on the conflict had shifted dramatically from the war's beginning, with most Americans viewing the conflict as a costly mistake. This disaster shaped American foreign policy and the public's attitude toward military intervention for decades to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uCLFJ3HrnA

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Vietnam War journalist reflects on 50th anniversary of fall of Saigon | ABC NEWS

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Feel free to delve deeper into the events mentioned in the timeline.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XC6D8qkoVOOLocK0hhVXxRmH8VDLkE7lFMsLrw36q2Y/edit?tab=t.0