From the Encyclopedia Americana, "1968, Election of"

    Democratic- Humphrey/Muskie- 272 Electoral Votes.  43.17% of the Popular Vote
    Republican- Nixon/Agnew-  220 Electoral Votes.  42.97% of the Popular Vote.
    Independent- Wallace/LeMay-  46 Electoral Votes.  13.53% of the Popular Vote.

    In his second and last attempt at the Presidency, Richard Nixon came closer in terms of Electoral Votes to winning than he did in 1960.  Charges were brought of voter fraud in New Jersey, Missouri, and
Illinois by the Republicans.  After publicly accusing the Democratic Party of conspiring to deny him the Presidency in both 1960 and 1968, public opinion of Nixon dropped and the Republican leadership began to distance themselves from Nixon.  Legal action by Nixon lead to nothing and Hubert Humphrey was sworn in as President on January 20, 1969.

From the Encyclopedia Americana, "Humphrey, Hubert"

First Term
    The Vietnam War-
    By far the most important issue facing President Humphrey was the Vietnam War, which had been going on since 1959.  By 1968 there were more than 500,000 US troops in Vietnam.  Anti-war movements had developed at home, and demonstrations had became a daily occurrence, especially on university campuses.  Standing for the 'Moral Majority,' the 60% of Americans opposed to the Vietnam War, President Humphrey began to pull out troops and attempt to bring the war to an end.
    President Johnson had ended the bombing of North Vietnam, a policy that Humphrey continued.  At the same time, US troops in Vietnam took a more defensive role.  The urgings of Secretary of State Clark Clifford and Secretary of Defense Cyrus Vance prevented Humphrey from committing troops to an invasion of Cambodia and Laos.
    Before the election, South Vietnam President Thieu had been persuaded by Nixon to stall peace negotiations until Nixon was President.  This put President Thieu in a bad position when Humphrey became President, and South Vietnam was rarely consulted in the secret peace negotiations between Vance and North Vietnam.
    In the fall of 1970 peace was worked out in Paris without input from South Vietnam.  The United States would withdrawal all their troops, accept 10 North Vietnamese divisions in South Vietnam and recognize the legitimacy of the PRG.  Thieu came out against the treaty, accusing the US of selling him out.  In a US backed political coup, Thieu was forced out of power and Duong Van Minh, who had been one of those who helped overthrow Diem, replaced him.  Early 1971 had all members of the Vietnam
War sign the Treaty of Paris, ending the US involvement in the Vietnam War.

From the Encyclopedia Americana, "Cambodia"

    In 1965, Sihanouk broke off all relations with the United States, and at the same time allowed North Vietnamese troops to set up bases on Cambodian soil.  As warfare increased in Vietnam, both conservatives and radicals opposed Sihanouk's policies.  While he was abroad, there was an attempt by the conservatives to depose Sihanouk.  This attempt failed and Sihanouk remained in power.  In 1975, Sihanouk worked with the Khmer Rouge to oppose Vietnam's attempt to instal a pro-Vietnamese ruler.

From the Encyclopedia Americana, "SEATO"

    Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), alliance of nations to provide defense and economic cooperation in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific area.  The alliance was founded on September 8, 1954, less than two months after agreements reached at the Geneva Conference had paved the way for the French withdrawal from Indochina.  The founding members of SEATO were Australia, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States.  Like the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Southeast Asian alliance was intended to prevent the spread of communism; but unlike the NATO pact, the SEATO agreement did not obligate one member to assist another against a military threat.  Although SEATO sanctioned the U.S. military effort in Vietnam, and although several SEATO members sent troops to fight there, SEATO itself played no direct role in the war.  France ceased active participation in SEATO in 1967; Pakistan officially withdrew in 1972.  In 1975, SEATO members sent troops into Laos to put down a Communist revolt there and restore order.  Vietnamese support for the Communists halted when China began raiding across the Vietnamese border.

From the Encyclopedia Americana, "Vietnam War"

    On April 20, 1971 the last US troops pulled out of South Vietnam.  Both North Vietnam and South Vietnam were careful in keeping to the terms of the treaty.  The withdrawal of the US troops had caused
a collapsing economy in South Vietnam.  Millions had depended on the money spent by American soldiers, an income that now disappeared.  As the ARVN experienced huge desertion rates, Minh worked with North Vietnam to stabilize the country.  This attempt at peaceful coexistence failed, and North Vietnamese troops took control of the control in 1973.

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