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the National Liberation Front or the Viet Cong, out of South Yietnam, but much harder to defeat diem pennanendy. Tlie US used bombs against the Vietnamese troops, and Chemicals to destroy crops, which had a terrible effect on people as well as on die land. There were also reports of atrocities (= acts of extreine violence and cruelty) committed by bodi sides. In 1968 die My Lai massacre, in wliich over 300 civilians were killed by US soldiers, shocked Americans at liome. Many US soldiers were not surę why diey were fighting the war and became traumatized (= mentally disturbed) by die violence aroirnd tliem. Discipline became a problem, and the use of dmgs was common. Soldiers were accused of committing acts of violence against each other and against Vietnamese civilians.In 1968 the Viet Cong started a major attack known as the Tet Offensive, and the US position in South Vietnam was threatened. As the war escalated (= became morę intense) it lost support at home and also in other countries. Wlien Richard Nixon became President he at first tded to attack bard and force die Viet Cong to eonie to an agreement. Tlie war tlien spread to Vietnam’s neighbour, Cambodia. Finally, in 1972, Nixon sent Henry Kissinger to negotiate a ceasefire, and afterwards the US was no longer directly involved in the war, tliough it continued to provide supplies In 1975 die gpvemment of South Vietnam fell and the country was taken over by die Communist forces. Tlie Vietnam War divided US society. Opposition to it was led mainly by university students, many of whom were yoimg men facing die draft (= compulsory service in die armed forces). Tliey said they sliould not be forced to figlit a war tliat tliey believed was wrong. As a protest, many bumed tlieir draft cards. Some became draft dodgers by remaining students as long as possible, or by going to Canada. Odiers took dieir case to court on die grounds diat diey were conscientious objectors and had morał or religious reasons for not fighting a war. Tliese protests resulted in violent conflicts between police and students. In the sunimer of 1968, during a protest in Chicago, people saw on television die violent way in which die police behaved. In 1970, during another protest, die National Guard shot and killed four American students at Kent State University in Ohio. After diis, many of die silent majority, people whom Nixon thought supported the government, believed diat tliings had gone too far and began to question goveniment policy and die reasons for US involvement in die war. But others continued to accuse the students of being unpatriotic. Wlien Vietnam veterans retumed liome they foimd diat, instead of receiving the respect nonnally given to war veterans, diey were the object of public anger. Tliey had to cope with diis in addition to die mental stress caused by the violence they had seen and taken part in. In die years sińce the war, films sucli as Tlie Deer Hunter (1978), Boru on die Fourtli of July (1989) and Good Moming, Vietnam (1987) have sliown the war from different angles and lielped Amedcans imderstand and come to temis with tlieir anger and hurt.Tlie war in Vietnam tauglit the US tliat diere are linii ts to its nulitary strengdi, and sliowed tliat the American people were not willing to pay die lugh cost in money and in lives for a war away from liome. Tlie strong desire to avoid another Vietnam played an important role in deciding US foreign policy in the years diat followed.

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