The History of the World (April 1969-May 1970)
- Episode aired Sep 26, 2017
- TV-MA
- 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
8.7/10
684
YOUR RATING
President Richard Nixon begins withdrawing American troops from Vietnam, but his authorization of the invasion of Cambodia sparks large protests in America.President Richard Nixon begins withdrawing American troops from Vietnam, but his authorization of the invasion of Cambodia sparks large protests in America.President Richard Nixon begins withdrawing American troops from Vietnam, but his authorization of the invasion of Cambodia sparks large protests in America.
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Peter Coyote
- Self - Narrator
- (voice)
- Directors
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe taking of Hill 937 (better known as 'Hamburger Hill' due to soldiers claiming they were "ground up like hamburger meat") in the A Shau Valley in May 1969 was dramatized in Hamburger Hill (1987).
- GoofsIt is stated as fact that the Nixon campaign sabotaged the proposed peace talks in October 1968. Whether the Nixon campaign interfered with negotiations between the Johnson administration and the South Vietnamese by engaging Anna Chennault, a fundraiser for the Republican party, remains a controversy. It is not clear whether the government of South Vietnam needed encouragement to opt out of a peace process they considered disadvantageous.
- ConnectionsFeatures So Proudly We Hail! (1943)
- SoundtracksDazed and Confused
Written by Jimmy Page
Used by Permission of Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Performed by Led Zeppelin
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing
Featured review
A Sad Commentary on Us!
As we are stunned every day by the support given a person with virtually no morals or compassion, we need only look back to 1969 to see that things haven't changed all that much. In addition to the excellent reporting on the battles and conflicts in Southeast Asia, now including Cambodia, the focus of this episode is the callousness and ugliness of Nixon's administration and two atrocities, My Lai and Kent State. As the number of dead Americans reached 50,000, Nixon knew that the U.S. could not win this war. What does he do? He sends thousands of new draftees into combat in the South. Time after time it is reported that these troops were not prepared for what they faced. They fought to the death, but became numbers. As images of these atrocities were being reported on the six o'clock news, more and more young people were motivated to make this stop. Remember, these were the ones who were fighting and dying for a war in a country that was no threat to them, a people they didn't even know, egged on by an unbalanced leader. Of course, horrible things happened. William Calley became the poster boy for the ugliness of it all, leading a massacre of civilians (including old men and women, children, and babies). Obviously there were violent factions that emerged, but on most college campuses, the demonstrations were loud and peaceful. Kent State changed that when National Guard troops, children themselves, opened fire on a crowd that was simply standing by a road. Here's the kicker. Polls said that nearly 60% of Americans approved of those troops firing into a crowd of unarmed people. Meanwhile the politicians continued to play games with the minds of the citizens. But things were starting to unwind. One thing I learned was that the draft lottery was strictly and political move to get people off Nixon's back. It worked. Sometimes we are so stupid. Excellent show.
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- Hitchcoc
- Nov 4, 2017
Details
- Runtime1 hour 48 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD
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