2. 1968 saw the hopes of millions dashed with two tragic assassinations, while Nixon got elected and America got sucked deeper into the Vietnam War.
For many who lived through it, 1968 marked an end to the hope and optimism of the 1960s. In the United States, a country still reeling from the assassination of President Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy – seen by many to be the best chance of ensuing JFK’s dream of a progressive America would be realized – was killed in Los Angeles. What’s more, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, an icon to millions, was also assassinated. The latter’s death, combined with ongoing civil rights struggles, as well as job insecurity, prompted urban unrest in numerous major cities. Plus, by the end of the year, Richard Nixon had been elected President, while bad news from the Vietnam War was sent home on a daily basis.
Outside of the United States, 1968 was a year of hope but ultimate disappointment in Europe. Youthful revolts across Europe had hoped to bring about significant change, not least in Soviet satellite states such as Czechoslovakia. By the end of the year, however, Soviet troops had brought the Prague Spring to an end and were tightening their grip on the country. Freedom would have to wait for a few more decades. In Paris, meanwhile, the student revolt petered out without causing any real change to politics or society. What looked like being a great year turned out to be the end of the vibrant, progressive 1960s.