11. Vietnam and the New Left

11

Viet Cong recruitment

Recruited peasants from the SV jungles. They often still had civilian jobs in the day and became soldier at night to fight the US and SV

US tactics in Vietnam

Due to the lack of distinction between soldier and civilian in the Viet Cong, the US 5x more soldiers on the ground, bombed the jungles flat to expose the fighters, use of Agent Orange to clear all foliage the fighters were hiding in

US measure of success

body count metric to measure how successful US presence was there. Officers realised higher body count = higher chance of promotion back to work in the US. Began to kill as many people as possible, soldier or not

What was going on in Spring 1968

LBJ under assumption US was on cusp of success, facing massive anti-war movements at home. Tet Offensive of VNYE to hold US embassy and major airport was symbolic

What went on in the US summer 1968

anti-war movements spreading among young people as the war was televised for the first time. Protesters began to align with the left wing. MLK Jr and Bobby Kennedy assassinated

USSR’s reponse to anti-war movements in the Soviet sphere

Brezhnev did not support them as expected. Sent tanks to Prague to settle the protests, who had hoped to have his support

Cultural Revolution

led by Mao to reinstate the conditions needed to justify socialism in the face of a growing middle class. ‘Down to the Countryside’ movement for professionals. Persecution of intellectuals. Used agricultural workers for institutions

New Left

left wing traditionally embodied the cap v socialism divide. Now took on more of a global south v oppressor position due to declining image of the US/USSR/UK’s involvement in wars