By Adam Massicott, Carter Steinhilper, Marshal Wilson

THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT

What was the Anti-War Movement?• The Anti-War Movement was a movement conducted against the Vietnam war by Liberals, Students, and even (?) celebrities

• The movement began in 1964 but grew as more and more as the death toll rose and more and more soldiers were being sent overseas

• The opposition to the war consisted of peaceful non-violent protests and very few were deliberately violent

Why was there Such opposition to the War?• Americans opposed the war for 4 main reasons• The implementation of the draft (why was this controversial…

how could you get out of the draft… $ for college meant that this became a ‘rich mans war’)• Moral opposition – Many Americans believed what was

happening in Vietnam was cruel and sinister

• The unlawful justification for the war (Domino Theory) – Many ?????

• The images and reports on the war

Who led the Anti-War movement?• People Involved in the Movement: The movement was led by

liberal politicians, celebrities, musicians, artists, and news reporters. It was conducted by students, teachers, youth, and the general public. (this is way to general… there are specific people that you should talk about)

• Credibility Gap: The images portrayed on the nightly news were shocking to the public, who were being told by the government the war was going smoothly.

• Tactic: Artists painted pictures representing the US’s involvement in the war as wrong, Musicians wrote songs about the war and it’s effect on people, and movie directors directed documentaries on the war.• Tactic: Students on college campuses nationwide grew increasingly

involved in the Anti-War Movement because they saw their peers go off to fight and saw the governments actions as ignorant and evil.• Teach-ins, marches, Protest rallies (for example KENT STATE!!!!!)

How was the movement conducted?• The Movement consisted of protests designed to sway the public’s opinion on the war.• The Students for a Democratic Society held large campus protests at college campuses across the country. They had marches and rallies where students would burn their draft cards, which was a federal crime.• The youth also dodged the draft by claiming to be “consciences objectors” which meant they would not be stable in a war environment

ANTI – Nuclear Movement

The Anti-Nuclear Movement Timeline Overview

• The Anti-Nuclear Movement was not as heated as the Anti-War Movement, but was a world-wide issue. ??????why?

• The Ban-the-Bomb Movement started in 1954 after the public became concerned about nuclear fallout after testing in the Pacific. • This lead to the organization of the Federation of Atomic Scientists

and Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists. The leaders of the campaign to ban the nuclear bomb were Albert Einstein, Leo Szilard, and Eugene Rabinowitch. • A meeting in Pugwash, Nova Scotia organized by Einstein was

called and world leaders met to discuss the issue. In the end, the US and USSR decided to continue manufacturing nuclear warheads.• The ban on nuclear weapons was never achieved and to this day

man holds the power to destroy cities, nations, or even the world itself (but we did sign a number of Nuclear test ban treaties… please talk about these as they are very significant)

Critical thinking• Why were young people and students a majority of the

opposition to the Vietnam War?

• Why was the Anti-Nuke movement more passive than the Anti-War movement?

• Why did the public mistrust what the government was saying concerning the war?

• Why were musicians and artists such an influence on public opinion of the war?

• Considering the view many had on the war, how do you think veterans returning home were treated?