Richard Nixon Silent Majority Speech Summary

On a quiet night in November of 1969, the nation tuned in to what would become one of the most anticipated speeches in presidential history. President Richard Nixon would finally be answering the calls of the anti-war movement and addressing the war in Vietnam. The speech consisted of a call for national solidarity on the Vietnam War effort, as the Nixon Administration sought to gain support from the American people. At the time, the anti-war movement was in full-swing. Although war had been waged for about a year, the United States had established military presence in Vietnam since 1955. Americans were tired of conflict, seeking desperately an end to the war. In his speech, Nixon pronounced an ultimatum that would mark the end of fighting in Vietnam. In his eyes, the communists either needed to agree to peace or the South Vietnamese needed to be postured for assuming the fight themselves.

To the dismay of many anti-war demonstrators, Nixon was not asking for the nation to support bringing more troops to Vietnam, but rather supporting those who were still there. 60,000+ troops had already been removed from Vietnam, and further

reductions would be dependent on the ability of the South Vietnamese to support themselves in the war effort. This self-sustaining military effort would be dubbed by Nixon as Vietnamization, an increase in combat effectiveness of the South Vietnamese Army, so the US could rid itself of war obligations. Nixon ended his speech calling upon the “great silent majority” those who did not oppose the war effort, but would not stand in opposition to the anti-war movement, to support the federal government’s efforts to bring peace to Vietnam. His motive was to achieve "peace with honor", and not surrender to the hands of communist rule.
The astounding factor about Nixon’s speech, is that it worked! Post speech, a Gallup poll indicated that 77% of those surveyed supported Nixon’s policy to bring peace to Vietnam. He even received a great deal of congressional support in that 300 congressmen and 40 senators cosponsored policies supporting Nixon’s efforts to bring the war in Vietnam to an end. Looking back on Nixon’s presidential legacy in terms of the Vietnam War, it is hard to believe that in 1969, there was such a great deal of support for the war efforts. Looking back on history, it is clear that where Nixon went wrong, was in his timetable. While his speech never made a mention of an exact timeframe, I’m sure most of those 300 congressman and 40 senators in support of Nixon’s “Silent Majority” plan did not realize the US would be emplaced in Vietnam for the next 8 years. However, it wasn’t just the support of the federal government that Nixon was in search of.
The purpose of Nixon’s speech was to appeal to young Americans who were highly impressionable.

On college campuses across the nation, riots and protests ravaged higher education institutions and destroyed a sense of nationalism that had been at an all-time high after World War II. In his “Silent Majority” Speech, Nixon was addressing the nation on the status of war efforts in Vietnam, but the primary purpose of his speech was to enlist the support of the young American whom he was losing in record numbers. One cannot lead a country in war if he cannot acquire the support of those whom are in the fight. To Nixon, a rebirth of patriotism in America would be key for the war to remain a success. In order to sustain a good fight, soldiers need to remain committed to the cause, and those soldiers need support of their

countrymen.
Looking back upon history and President Nixon’s “Silent Majority” speech, he postured his administration for success. As proven by the Gallup Poll’s survey, Americans were listening when Nixon spoke. The unfortunate reality is that Americans were looking for change, and Nixon could not provide that. His speech promised solidarity and a solution to the madness, yet chaos ensued. Reinforcements were called upon to pick up the slack where foreign diplomacy had failed. Nixon’s “Secret Plan” that got him in to office was not working, and with that he lost the support of the “silent majority”. While well intended and well executed, Nixon’s speech could not be followed by the corrective action necessary to relieve the US of the burden that was Vietnam. And as the war effort crumbled, so did his presidency.