The impact of the Tet offensive on America

1. The impact of the Tet offensive on America

2. Introduction to the Tet offensive • By the beginning of 1968 there were nearly 500,000 US troops in south Vietnam. • 15,000 US soldiers had lost their lives. • There was an increasing amount of opposition towards the war in America. This leading to protests in Washington. • The Tet period of time was traditionally a time for celebration. How ever this year it was not.

3. Beginning of the Tet offensive • On the 31st of January 1968, nearly 70,000 communist soldiers launched a surprise attack upon the South. • They surged more than 100 cities and towns. They were even able to make through to Saigon. • In Saigon it was there where they were able to penetrate through to the American embassy. Even though with in 5 hours of that attack all people involved were killed.

4. Tet offensive cont… • The Viet Cong andNVA struck at Han An, Da Nang, Qui Nhon and other seaside bases. • They rocketed the Huge American naval complex at Camranh Bay. • They stormed the highland towns of Dalat, Pleiku, Kontum and Banmethout. • The majority of the areas, they were rapidly crushed by the firepower from the Americans and south Vietnamese. • At the ancient capital Hue a battle of the war took place for 25 days. • The Viet Cong hoisted their flag over the old fortress in the centre of the city and began to round up more than 25000 officials.

5. Impact on America • Despite the military victory of the south Vietnamese and America, the Us public turned even more against the war. • The public wanted America to with draw to with draw from Vietnam. The average citizen thought the US had no idea what they were doing and had no plan to end the war. • The public and politicians were dividing into the two groups of the “doves” or the “eagles” Doves wanting peace and the eagles wanting to fight the war at all costs.

6. Impact on America cont... • No definite goals or objectives were set and therefore the public wanted their men back home. • War coverage on TV had given the public the impression that they were very close to victory. How ever after the Tet offensive they soon realised they had been mislead. It showed the majority of American that the war had to be ended as soon as possible other wise it would never end.

7. Impact on the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong • Over 100,000 people were killed during the Tet offensive, however at first this was seen as a victory for the North. • Although the north Vietnamese leaders thought it as a failure. This is because no objectives were achieved, even though they inflicted many casualties on the Americans- however this proved to be quite fortunate. • The tet offensive also set them back. This being because 30,000 people were killed and they couldn’t recover from this.

8. Defeat or victory? • The Tet offensive was the result of years of planning by the Viet Cong, who had secretly hid weapons in buildings around Saigon and other towns and cities. • Communist forces were supposed to south Vietnam and the southern population were to join them in order to try and topple the South Vietnamese government. • Gerneral Vo Nguye Giap wanted to show that the Us were vulnerable. America did not want a drawn out conflict. • The offensive had caught the US off guard and they decided action needed to be taken immediately.