U.S. Bombing of North Vietnam
In 1965, the US launched its strategic bombing of Northern Vietnam.  Yet, North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh refused to listen to American demands, and the continued bombings and the increasing number of American fatalities in Vietnam soon became fuel for a growing antiwar movement.  As public opinion against the bombings intensified, a bombing pause from May 12 to the 17, of 1965 was announced.

"Our Boys in Vietnam"
In order for proponents of the war to maintain their popularity, they associated their stance with "support for our boys in Vietnam." Nevertheless, even along the front in Vietnam, the antiwar movement was spreading.  Combat troops began to wear antiwar symbols, and showed their opposition to the war with peace signs, movement salutes, and even demonstrations.  For example, during the November 1969 Antiwar Mobilization, one unit boycotted its Thanksgiving Day dinner.  But more often, the nature of the resistance on the front was far more serious.  From desertion to killing higher-ranking officers, individual acts of rebellion soon merged into mutinies and large-scale resistance.

Johnson’s White House
Between the late summer of 1965 and the fall of 1966, President Lyndon Johnson increased United States military presence and bombing in Vietnam.  During this time, antiwar demonstrators proved to be a force to be reckoned with on the governmental level.   President Johnson retaliated against protestors by using the legal system to restrict White House picketers.  These restrictions included limited numbers of demonstrators in certain zones and demanding permits for every antiwar activity.  But even with this legal harrassment, antiwar demonstrators continued to be a problem for the Johnson administration.

1967
1967 proved to be a tumultuous year for President Johnson.  The US military presence in Vietnam was losing strength.  The White House continued to be plagued by two wars: the war in Vietnam and the "war at home" ignited by the antiwar movement.  And public opinion was shifting farther and farther away from supporting "our boys in Vietnam."  In addition, 1967 was witness to a number of city riots; the most deadly of which occured in Detroit. The media showed that the social and moral makeup of America was changing as well, as hippies, drugs, and free sex infiltrated the country's youth.   Indeed, the antiwar movement was debilitating Johnson's presidency and shocking the nation.

The Hawks and the Doves
In mid-1967, more and more Americans began to oppose the costly American involvement in Vietnam. By 1968, only slightly more than 25% of the population approved of Johnson's military decisions. Among the most vocal of the critics were the hawks. Although the hawks supported the war, they believed that Johnson was not giving his generals enough freedom.  The hawks wanted to continue the bombings over Northern Vietnam and remove the shackles from American generals.

The doves comprised another group of critics with whom Johnson was forced to reckon.   Usually Democrats and blue-collar workers, the doves wanted Johnson to end the American involvement in Vietnam immediately. The doves were far more vocal and visible than the hawks, and organized extensive antiwar demonstrations. In addition, many of the doves came from the ranks of the media and the Democratic Party, which contributed to the group's detrimental effect on Johnson's presidency.

The March on the Pentagon (seen at right)
1967 saw public support for the war further decreased, and President Johnson counteracted public opinion by overselling the modest gains of his military commanders. Against this backdrop came a turning point for Johnson's presidency: the October 1967 March on the Pentagon, one of the most significant events of the antiwar movement.  Although the marchers were unable to levitate the besieged Pentagon, their demonstrations had a direct influence on the redirection of American policy in Vietnam, and also contributed to the destruction of Lyndon Johnson's presidency.

Protest in the Capital
The antiwar demonstrations at the Pentagon marked the beginning of the end for American involvement in Vietnam. Johnson's administration was besieged by protests and civil disobedience, and numerous arrests were made.   Many of the protestors ventured to march on government grounds, surrounding such structures as the Lincoln Memorial. Although the public reaction to the events in the capital was mixed, most Americans did not approve of the protests in the capital.  For many, the protests were symbolized by televised images of rebellious hippies taunting courageous, clean-cut United States soldiers.

The Tet Offensive
With the bad taste still in their mouths from the tumultuous March on the Pentagon, Americans were shocked again by the communists' Tet Offensive on January 31, 1968. The serious nature of the offensive was proof of Johnson's previous overselling of American progress in Vietnam, and Americans realized the true gravity of the war.  Finally, public opinion became an influential factor in Johnson's decisions regarding the war. And in March of 1968, Johnson withdrew his candidacy for reelection, and opened the U.S. to peace talks with the communists.

Nixon is Elected
After the termination of Johnson's term, President Richard Nixon was elected to office.   Nixon, along with many of his advisors, believed that the antiwar movement was a negative force because it prolonged the war.   With this conviction, Nixon assumed the presidency with a secret plan to end the war.  Nevertheless, the casualties and bombings continued as President Nixon increased pressure on the communists, issued a deadline for the communists, and kept many of his plans secret from the American public.

The Public Demands an End to War
It was not long before the American people realized that the state of the war was not improving, despite Nixon's promises to end the war.  Antiwar critics were soon privy to Nixon's poor management of Vietnam, and prepared for another campaign of petitions and demonstrations. In October of 1969, a series of successful antiwar demonstrations were spurred on by the passing of Nixon's "deadline" for the communists and his failure to follow through with his strategy.  The public, led by a strong antiwar sentiment, demanded a more rapid withdrawal from Vietnam than Nixon had anticipated.

Invasion of Cambodia Spurs Tragedy at Kent State
In May of 1970, Nixon endeavored to buy time for Vietnamization via an attack on Cambodia.   Unfortunately for Nixon, this action provoked a series of fervent antiwar protests across the nation.  But on May 4, 1970, protest ended in tragedy at Kent State University, when Ohio National Guardsmen killed four students following an antiwar demonstration. The tragedy at Kent State ignited a wave of college campus demonstrations that crippled America's universities. Between May 4 and May 8, campuses witnessed an average of 100 demonstrations a day, 350 campus strikes, 536 college shut-downs, and 73 reports of violent campus protests.  By May 12, only eight days after the tragedy at Kent State, over 150 colleges were on strike.

Nixon Withdraws Troops
The overwhelming response to the invasion of Cambodia and the Kent State crisis soon became too much for President Nixon. On December 15, he announced his intention to withdraw fifty thousand troops from Vietnam in 1970.

The Movement Declines
At the closing of many of the nation's universities, Americans witnessed a dramatic decline in antiwar activity.  Campus demonstrations and dove rallies, as well as the size of the crowds participating in them, greatly declined after the spring of 1970.   Still, in August of 1970, a young researcher at the University of Wisconsin was killed when the building in which he was working was fire bombed by antiwar activists. But in general, the movement was winding down and Nixon gradually regained popularity.

The End of the War
After the fall of Saigon, Nixon's administration was paralyzed by the Watergate scandal, which prompted him to resign in August of 1974. During this period, he was too weak to argue with Congress over the issue of renewing American military commitment in Vietnam. Although the new president, Gerald Ford, wanted to increase military aide to the faltering Saigon regime in 1974, the heavy casualties already endured by the nation made Congress refuse.