cover of episode 508. America in '68: Nightmare in Vietnam (Part 1)

508. America in '68: Nightmare in Vietnam (Part 1)

2024/10/28
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The Rest Is History

Chapters

The episode sets the stage for the tumultuous year of 1968, focusing on the Vietnam War, urban unrest, and the political pressure on President Lyndon B. Johnson, which ultimately leads to his decision not to seek re-election.
  • Johnson's popularity is in free fall due to the Vietnam War and urban unrest.
  • The Tet Offensive shocks the American public and erodes support for the war.
  • Johnson feels a crushing sense of political pressure and personal health issues.

Shownotes Transcript

"Tonight I want to speak to you of peace in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.”

On the night of Sunday, 31st of March 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson, after announcing an end to the bombing of North Vietnam, stunned the world by revealing he would not seek the democratic nomination for that year’s presidential election. The seemingly never-ending Vietnam War had already made LBJ hugely unpopular with his progressive base. But now, facing challenges from Eugene McCarthy, the ambiguously anti-war senator from Minnesota, and Robert “Bobby” Kennedy, heir to the Kennedy throne, Johnson had decided to bow out. And so, as the war slowed for a moment, the Democrats would have to decide on the best candidate to take on a certain Richard M. Nixon… 

Join Tom and Dominic in the first episode of our six part series on America in 1968, as they look at the stories of Lyndon B. Johnson, Eugene McCarthy, and how the Vietnam War would come to define them both.


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Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

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