The Vietnam Moratorium and the Limits of Cold War Congressional Peace Politics

The Vietnam Moratorium mobilized millions of Americans to oppose the Vietnam War on October 15, 1969. Congressmen shared the stage with grassroots activists and showed that the antiwar movement had infiltrated mainstream politics. Major cities hosted the largest gatherings, but activists in hundreds of smaller cities and towns organized historic rallies, teach-ins, vigils, church services, and walkouts. The Moratorium’s success relied on the breadth of its coalition. Nevertheless, ideological tensions over the future of antiwar politics and US foreign policy ultimately led to the coalition’s demise. In effect, liberal organizers tried to push the boundaries of what was politically possible, but a Cold War antipathy to anything resembling radical politics reined in their campaign.