2. Objectives Understand the Elections of ‘68 and ‘72 Understand Nixon’s exit strategy How did the Vietnam war change Americans’ perception of our government? Legacies of Vietnam
3. Increased Distrust of Gov’t My Lai Massacre – 1968 and 1969 Secret War (Cambodia and Laos) Pentagon Papers
4. 1972 Election Nixon vs. McGovern (huge war critic) 26th Amendment in 1971 Kissinger Announces “Peace at Hand” Nixon Landslide Christmas Bombings All but 24,000 U.S. troops are gone
5. Peace Agreement January of 1973 Paris Peace Accord (U.S., North, South, VC) -Cease Fire -Withdraw of U.S. troops from Vietnam -U.S. to help rebuild -Vietnamese troops hold positions while discussions continue over future Nobel Peace Prize
6. Real end of war 1975 – North Vietnam invades south April – they reach and overrun Saigon U.S. Military has to evacuate Americans Unified Vietnam with communist government in South Khmer Rouge take over Cambodia
7. Legacies of Vietnam War Changes view of American government War Powers Act 1973 “Is this another Vietnam”? Struggle of Vietnam Veterans Vietnam Veterans Memorial, D.C.
