Lori Meadows
On May 4, 1970, four students were killed and nine wounded by the Ohio National Guard during an anti-Vietnam War protest at Kent State University. The incident, now known as the Kent State shootings, or the Kent State massacre, was a seminal moment in modern US history, symbolizing the political and cultural divides across the nation. The protest was part of a new wave of student activism against the war, in response to President Nixon's announcement of the invasion of Cambodia. The tragic event has had a lasting impact, with many still working to prevent similar tragedies and promote alternative forms of protest and conflict resolution on campuses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | May 4, 1970 |
| Location | Kent State University, Ohio |
| Protesters | Students from Kent State and other universities |
| Number of Protestors | Approximately 3,000 |
| Reason | Opposition to the expanding involvement of the Vietnam War into Cambodia by US military forces, the National Guard presence on campus, and the draft |
| Outcome | Four students were killed, nine were wounded, and one was left permanently paralysed |
| Other Consequences | The biggest student strike in US history, involving hundreds of campuses nationwide |
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What You'll Learn
Nixon's expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia
On May 4, 1970, four students were killed and nine others were wounded by the Ohio National Guard during a rally at Kent State University. The students were protesting the expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia by US military forces, the National Guard presence on campus, and the draft.
The expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia, also known as the Cambodian Campaign, was a highly controversial decision made by US President Richard Nixon. Here is a detailed overview of Nixon's expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia:
Background to the Cambodian Campaign
Cambodia was officially a neutral country during the Vietnam War. However, North Vietnamese troops used the northern part of Cambodia as part of the Ho Chi Minh trail, a supply route that stretched from Vietnam to Laos and Cambodia. As early as March 1969, Nixon approved secret bombings of suspected communist base camps and supply zones in Cambodia, known as "Operation Menu." These bombings were revealed to the public by The New York Times on May 9, 1969, triggering international protests. Despite this, Nixon remained inclined to take more aggressive action in Cambodia.
Planning the Incursion
In March 1970, Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia was overthrown and replaced by Lon Nol, who demanded that North Vietnamese forces withdraw from their base camps along the South Vietnamese border. The North Vietnamese responded by expanding their presence in Cambodia. This development destroyed Cambodia's fragile neutrality and increased Nixon's determination to take action. He solicited proposals from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and MACV, which included options such as airstrikes and a ground invasion.
The Decision to Invade
Nixon faced pressure from various advisers and cabinet members, some of whom favored a more aggressive approach than others. Vice President Spiro Agnew, for example, urged Nixon to invade Cambodia with American troops. On April 22, Nixon authorized the planning of a South Vietnamese incursion into an area of Cambodia known as the "Parrot's Beak." However, Nixon ultimately decided to go for "the big play," opting for a ground invasion by US and South Vietnamese forces.
Execution of the Cambodian Incursion
On April 28, 1970, Nixon ordered US ground troops to invade Cambodia, but he waited two days to announce the incursion on national television. The invasion was met with widespread criticism, as many believed Nixon had abused his powers by sidestepping Congress. The news further fueled resentment over the Vietnam War, and protests erupted on campuses across the United States.
Impact and Consequences
The Cambodian incursion yielded significant quantities of rice, weapons, and ammunition from North Vietnamese base camps. It also disrupted North Vietnamese command and logistics structures, buying time for the "Vietnamization" program, which aimed to build South Vietnam's military capacity. However, the invasion proved to be a tipping point for public opinion, with anti-war protests intensifying, particularly on college campuses. The criticism of Nixon's handling of the Vietnam War culminated in the passage of the War Powers Act in November 1973, which limited the president's ability to declare war without congressional approval.
In conclusion, Nixon's expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia was a significant event that had far-reaching consequences. The decision to invade Cambodia was influenced by Nixon's desire to demonstrate America's commitment to the Vietnam War and his belief that a spectacular military action was needed. The incursion yielded tactical gains but ultimately fueled widespread protests and led to a reevaluation of presidential war-making powers.
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The presence of the National Guard on campus
The presence of the National Guard on the Kent State University campus was a direct result of decisions made regarding American involvement in the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon was elected president in 1968 on the promise to end the war in Vietnam. During his first year in office, it appeared that the war was winding down. However, in April 1970, Nixon announced that the United States had invaded Cambodia, thereby widening the Vietnam War. This announcement was met with immediate protests across college campuses, with students at Kent State University rallying against the expansion of the war and the National Guard presence on campus.
The decision to deploy the National Guard to Kent State University was made by Ohio Governor Rhodes, who was campaigning for the Republican nomination to run for the U.S. Senate. Rhodes presented himself as a champion of law and order, echoing Nixon's earlier characterisation of student demonstrators as "bums". He vowed to use law enforcement agencies to drive dissident groups out of Kent.
On May 3, 1970, the day before the shootings, nearly 1,200 National Guardsmen occupied the Kent State campus. The following day, 28 National Guard soldiers fired around 67 rounds in 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others. The students killed were Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Lee Scheuer, and William Schroeder.
The National Guard's use of lethal force sparked a nationwide student strike, forcing colleges and universities to close. The tragedy also triggered a federal court civil action for wrongful death and injury, brought by the victims and their families against Governor Rhodes, the university president, and the National Guardsmen. The case was eventually settled out of court, with the state of Ohio paying $675,000 to the plaintiffs and expressing regret over the incident.
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The draft and student deferments
The protests at Kent State University in May 1970 were part of a broader national student protest movement against the Vietnam War and, specifically, the United States' invasion of Cambodia and the resulting loss of Vietnamese and Cambodian lives. One of the key factors that contributed to the student anger and sense of injustice was the military draft, which loomed over the heads of many young men at the time. The draft, officially known as Selective Service, was a system of mandatory conscription that required young men to register and potentially be drafted into the armed forces, often with little choice or say in the matter. This naturally caused a great deal of anxiety and resentment, especially among college-aged men, who felt that their futures were being decided for them, and that they had little control over their own lives.
At the time, students who were full-time at a college or university were granted a deferment from the draft, which meant that they could continue their studies without the immediate threat of being drafted. This, however, created a sense of privilege and protection for students, while also fostering resentment from those who were not in college and felt that the students were somehow avoiding their civic duty or even taking advantage of the system. The draft deferments for students also contributed to the perception that the war was primarily being fought by poorer and less educated young men, who did not have the same opportunities to gain a draft deferment. This perception added to the sense of injustice and inequality that fueled the protests.
However, in 1969, as the Vietnam War effort intensified under President Nixon, the rules for draft deferments were changed, and it became more difficult for students to maintain their deferred status. These changes meant that many male students now faced the very real possibility of being drafted and sent to fight in a war they vehemently opposed. The loss of student deferments added fuel to the fire of anti-war sentiment on college campuses across the country, including Kent State University. Students felt that not only were their voices and protests against the war being ignored, but the government was now directly threatening their futures and livelihoods by potentially forcing them to fight in a war they did not believe in.
The draft and the threat it posed to students' freedoms and lives was a significant factor in the protests at Kent State University. The anger and frustration felt by the students, coupled with the sense of powerlessness in the face of a seemingly endless and unpopular war, contributed to the intensity of the demonstrations. The protests were a way for the students to voice their opposition to the war, to the draft, and to the policies that directly affected their lives and futures. The tragic events that unfolded at Kent State, including the deaths of four students, only served to further galvanize the anti-war movement and bring greater attention to the issues of the draft and the impact of war on young people.
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The killing and wounding of unarmed students
On May 4, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a group of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine. Twenty-eight National Guard soldiers fired approximately 67 rounds in 13 seconds, fatally injuring four students and wounding nine others, one of whom was left permanently paralysed. The four students who died were Allison Krause, 19, Jeffrey Miller, 20, Sandra Lee Scheuer, 20, and William Schroeder, 19. Krause and Miller were among the more than 300 students who gathered to protest against the expansion of the Cambodian campaign, which President Richard Nixon had announced.
The students were protesting against the US military's growing involvement in Cambodia and the National Guard's presence on campus, as well as the draft. The National Guard's presence on campus was directly related to decisions regarding American involvement in the Vietnam War. Nixon was elected president in 1968, partly due to his promise to end the Vietnam War. However, in April 1970, the US invaded Cambodia, widening the conflict.
In the years following the incident, many in the anti-war movement referred to the shootings as "murders". While no National Guardsmen were convicted, the President's Commission on Campus Unrest, also known as the Scranton Commission, was established to investigate the killings of protesting students at Kent State and Jackson State. The Commission concluded that the Ohio National Guard's use of lethal force was unjustified.
The Kent State incident forced the National Guard to re-examine its crowd control methods, and it has come to symbolise the deep political and social divisions that sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era. The killings and wounding of unarmed students at Kent State University highlighted the need for better ways to deal with such confrontations and for alternative forms of protest and conflict resolution to prevent similar tragedies.
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The university's ban on rallies and order to disperse
The Kent State Shootings, also known as the Kent State Massacre, refer to the killing of four and wounding of nine unarmed college students by the Ohio National Guard on the Kent State University campus on May 4, 1970. The shootings occurred during a rally protesting the expanding involvement of US military forces in Cambodia and the National Guard presence on campus.
In the lead-up to the tragic event, there were several instances of civil unrest and student protests at Kent State University. On April 10, 1970, a leader of the Youth International Party, Jerry Rubin, made some controversial remarks during a speech on campus, including, "The first part of the Yippie program is to kill your parents. They are the first oppressors." This was followed by an incident on April 23, 1970, when Bill Arthrell, a member of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), distributed flyers for an anti-napalm teach-in event, stating that he intended to napalm a dog.
On May 1, 1970, two rallies were held at the Commons, a grassy open area at the center of the Kent State University campus. The first rally was attended by around 500 people, who symbolically buried a copy of the U.S. Constitution, stating that it had been murdered by Nixon due to his decision to invade Cambodia. That evening, violence broke out in downtown Kent, with students and others clashing with police, resulting in arrests and vandalism.
In response to the escalating situation, Kent Mayor Leroy Satrom declared a civil emergency. On May 4, another protest was called on campus, which was now occupied by the National Guard. Demonstrations had been banned by the university, but a large number of people gathered, with estimates ranging from 500 to 3,000. The guardsmen ordered the protesters to disperse, but the order was ignored, and witnesses reported that rocks were thrown. The guardsmen initially responded with tear gas and then fired live rounds into the crowd.
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Frequently asked questions
Students at Kent State University protested against the US military's involvement in Cambodia as part of the Vietnam War.
On May 4, 1970, four students were killed and nine were wounded by the Ohio National Guard.
The Kent State shootings provoked the biggest student strike in US history, with students from hundreds of campuses across the nation taking part.
The student body at Kent State was generally middle-class and apolitical, but there was a minority of students from union households.
Yes, there were similar incidents at Jackson State University and South Carolina State College in Orangeburg.
