5.3.19

Reasons for Support 2

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The ‘Silent Majority’

On 3rd November 1969, President Nixon made a speech on TV appealing for support from the ‘silent majority’. A poll showed that 77% of the public supported Nixon’s policies.

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Appeal

  • On 3rd November 1969, President Nixon made a speech on TV appealing for support from the ‘silent majority’.
  • He believed most people supported the war but took no active role in campaigning for or against the war.
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Support

  • Over the next few days, over 80,000 telegrams and letters were sent to the White House from people expressing their support.
  • A poll showed that 77% of the public supported Nixon’s policies, showing many people considered themselves part of the ‘silent majority’.
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Results

  • As a result, Congress passed resolutions approving Nixon’s conduct of the war.
  • This meant that Nixon could negotiate with the North Vietnamese more easily as he had shown he had plenty of support at home, despite the anti-war movement.
  • It gave Nixon a strong position to negotiate for ‘peace with honour’ for America.

Jump to other topics

1Was the Treaty of Versailles Fair?

2Was the League of Nations a Success?

3How did Hitler's Foreign Policy Impact the War?

4Who was to Blame for the Cold War?

5Did the US Contain the Spread of Communism?

6How was USSR's Control Over Eastern Europe?

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