The Vietnam War Protests

To many, the war in Vietnam was a senseless war. As a result, anti-war protests launched all over America as a forum for those who were ready to see the end of the brutal exploitation. Prior to 1965, small Vietnam war protests were held by individuals searching for peace but quickly grew into a prominent part of the war as we remember it today. This paper will discuss the timeline of Vietnam war protests as well as the most prominent groups and individuals that promoted an end to the violence.
The Vietnam War began in 1955 as a result of attempted containment of communism. Through the 20 years that this war lasted for, over hundreds of protests took place from London to Chicago. Protests began as a voice for those who disagreed with the conflict

At this point, nearly 500,000 soldiers were deployed, casualties reached over 15,000 and the war was spending roughly $25 billion per year of the taxpaying publics money (History.com Staff). America 's frustration only grew while learning about not just the lives, time, and resources that the war had cost them, but also their taxed dollars. The United States had began to split into two; those who supported the war and those who did not. Even deployed soldiers, enlisted through the draft, have been quoted saying “it was our guys doing the killing” (Colburn) putting the division between support and disgust through everyone involved. In February of 1968, a Gallup poll proved America’s division as 35 percent of the population approved of the war 50 percent disapproved (The New York Times Staff). America and its citizens were struggling to reach a common understanding about what was truly necessary or unnecessary in terms of the

In 1969, President Nixon gave a speech introducing his plan to pull the United States out of the war. The plan, Vietnamization, would consist of building up the South Vietnamese forces while removing US troops from combat. This plan instilled that the South Vietnamese forces would assume more responsibility for the war while US troops went home, as Americans had demanded. April of 1970 proved to sway from Nixon 's plan of removing troops as he announced that US troops would be entering Cambodia. An explosion of protests resulted, including the Kent State Incident previously mentioned. In 1972, North Vietnam attacked South Vietnam. South Vietnam forces struggled on their own until the United States issued aid through US airpower- once again, becoming further involved in the war. Fighting continued through the next few months but as more and more antiwar demonstrations took place by those waiting for Nixon’s plan to follow through, negotiations were made to officially pull the United States out of the war. In January of 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed and the United States was officially withdrawn from the war in Vietnam.
The steady growth of anti-war protests throughout the Vietnam War showed the passion American people had for their country, as well as others, well being. They spoke up time and time again until their government truly responded. In conclusion, Vietnam War protests steadily grew with the United States involvement in Vietnam. The variety of