Why Were College Students Against The Vietnam War?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Republican President Richard Nixon suspected that most students protested the Vietnam War because they feared being drafted . ... Because Nixon was then withdrawing U.S. troops from South Vietnam, the higher a young man's draft number, the less likely he would be inducted. Nearly all anti-war protest ended.

Why were students opposed to the Vietnam War?

Many Americans opposed the war on moral grounds, appalled by the devastation and violence of the war. Others claimed the conflict was a war against Vietnamese independence, or an intervention in a foreign civil war; others opposed it because they felt it lacked clear objectives and appeared to be unwinnable.

Did college students protest the Vietnam War?

The student strike of 1970 was a massive protest across the United States, that included walk-outs from college and high school classrooms initially in response to the United States expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. ... Conservative elements in the country began to view the anti-war movement with more distaste.

What was college like during the Vietnam War?

All classes at the university were cancelled, and a series of seminars and speeches on Vietnam issues continued for 12 hours. Almost immediately, “teach-ins” spread to other colleges across the nation. From such benign origins, the anti-war movement would change as the war did, becoming ever more violent.

What happened at the protests on college campuses in 1970?

The organization of students at the UW, on other college campuses in Washington and throughout the country was sparked when National Guard troops shot and killed four students at a protest rally in Kent State University, following President Richard Nixon's expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia.

Why did people protest the Vietnam War?

When the war in Vietnam began, many Americans believed that defending South Vietnam from communist aggression was in the national interest. ... Peace movement leaders opposed the war on moral and economic grounds . The North Vietnamese, they argued, were fighting a patriotic war to rid themselves of foreign aggressors.

What was the largest protest against the Vietnam War?

April 17, 1965 was the largest anti-war protest to have been held in Washington, D.C. up to that time. The number of marchers (15,000–25,000) was close to the number of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam at the time (less than 25,000).

What was one advantage the Viet Cong guerrillas had?

Question Answer one advantage their Viet Cong guerillas had was their elaborate tunnel systems during the election of 1968, the issues dividing the country also caused a split in the Democratic Party many young people in the 1960s had freedom and opportunities unknown to previous generations, thanks to postwar prosperity

What factors led to the US not winning the war in Vietnam?

There were a couple of reasons for this. First, the Americans were an invading force, and the Vietnamese were fighting on their own soil. Second, the Americans were not willing to make an all-out commitment to win .

How did America get out of the Vietnam War?

Finally, in January 1973, representatives of the United States, North and South Vietnam, and the Vietcong signed a peace agreement in Paris , ending the direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War.

What was the effect of Vietnam War on education?

Men who came of age in the Vietnam War accumulated more college education than those maturing either before or since, a Government study has found. The researcher who prepared the study said the change was probably caused by a combination of some men's avoiding the draft and others' using the G.I. Bill.

Could you be drafted to Vietnam if you were in college?

Before Congress reformed the draft in 1971, a man could qualify for a student deferment if he could show he was a full-time student making satisfactory progress in virtually any field of study. ... Under the current draft law, a college student can have his induction postponed only until the end of the current semester.

How hot did it get in Vietnam War?

Vietnam just observed its highest temperature ever recorded: 110 degrees , in April.

What made college students go on the first general student strike in US history?

“The spring of 1970 saw the first general student strike in the history of the United States, students from over four hundred colleges and universities calling off classes to protest the invasion of the Cambodia, the Kent State affair , the killing of two black students at Jackson State College in Mississippi, and the ...

Who shot the students at Kent State?

NRHP reference No. The Kent State shootings, also known as the May 4 massacre and the Kent State massacre, were the killings of four and wounding of nine other unarmed Kent State University students by the Ohio National Guard on May 4, 1970 in Kent, Ohio, 40 mi (64 km) south of Cleveland.

Who fired the first shot at Kent State?

Terrence Brooks Norman (born April 30, 1949) is a former Kent State University student and FBI informant whose alleged role in the Kent State shootings has been cloaked in mystery since the tragedy, which claimed the lives of four unarmed students at an anti-Vietnam War rally.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.