How did the war in Vietnam polarize the nation?

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Mothers against the War
Founded in 1961 to work for nuclear disarmament, Women Strike for Peace (WSP) began to protest the Vietnam War in 1963. Identifying themselves as “concerned housewives” and mothers, members mobilized around the slogan “Not Our Sons, Not Your Sons, Not Their Sons.” In February 1967, WSP held the first antiwar protest at the Pentagon. More than 2,000 women, some shown here, banged their shoes on Pentagon doors, which were locked as they approached. © Bettmann/Corbis.

SOON PRESIDENT JOHNSON was fighting a war on two fronts, as domestic opposition to the war swelled after 1965. In March 1968, torn between his domestic critics and the military’s clamor for more troops, Johnson announced a halt to the bombing, a new effort at negotiations, and his decision not to pursue reelection. Throughout 1968, demonstrations, violence, and assassinations convulsed the increasingly polarized nation. Vietnam took center stage in the election, and voters narrowly favored the Republican candidate, former vice president Richard Nixon, who promised to achieve “peace with honor.”

CHRONOLOGY

1968

  • – Demonstrations against Vietnam War increase.
  • – Tet Offensive.
  • – Johnson decides not to seek a second term.
  • – Violence erupts near the Democratic convention in Chicago.
  • – Richard Nixon is elected president.