What is Tet?

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The Tet Offensive
1968
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Conflict in Vietnam

• The Vietnam War was a military struggle fought in
  Vietnam from 1959 to 1975.
• It involved the North Vietnamese and the National
  Liberation Front (NLF) in conflict with United
  States forces and the South Vietnamese army.

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Vietnam War

• The longest military conflict in U.S. history
  (1965-1973).
• The hostilities in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
  claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans.

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Why US Involvement?

• Vietnam was divided in half in 1954
• North Communist
• South Democracy
• In 1965 the US sent in troops to prevent the
  South Vietnamese government from collapsing and
  turning all of Vietnam Communist.

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Leading up to Tet

• Between 1965 and 1967, the US increased its
  military presence dramatically.
• This policy led to increased anti-war
  demonstrations in America.
• The US government claimed progress was being
  made.

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Extreme Protest

• Monk in South Vietnam lights himself on fire to
  protest South Vietnamese government.
• Self-Immolation also in US (1965)
• Norman Morrison
• Alice Herz
• Roger LaPorte

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Light at the End of the Tunnel

• In November 1967 General Westmoreland spearheaded
  a public relations drive for the Johnson
  administration to bolster flagging public
  support.
• In a speech before the National Press Club he
  said that a point in the war had been reached
  "where the end comes into view."

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Khe Sahn

• January 21, 1968 - 20,000 NVA troops under the
  command of Gen. Giap attack the American air base
  at Khe Sanh.
• A 77 day siege begins as 5000 U.S. Marines in the
  isolated outpost are encircled.

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On the Eve of Tet

• US focus was on the siege of Khe Shahn.
• General Giap knew Americans were protesting war
  at home.
• Media attention was becoming key factor.
• Giap also wanted to start a peoples uprising in
  the South against the US.

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Giaps Overall Goal

• Giap was aware of the growing US peace movement
  and of the deep divisions the war was causing in
  American society.
• What the General needed was a body-blow that
  would break Washington's will to carry on.
• Wanted a quick and decisive victory that would be
  well in time for the 1968 US Presidential
  campaign.

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What is Tet?

• Tet is the most important and popular holiday and
  festival in Vietnam.
• It is the Vietnamese New Year which is based on
  the Lunar calendar.
• Usually a 3 day holiday end of January.

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Tet Holiday 1968

• Truce was declared so both sides of conflict
  could celebrate Tet with their families.
• NVA and Viet Cong began sneaking into cities with
  smuggled weapons.
• Used flower carts, jury rigged coffins and trucks
  supposedly filled with rice and vegetables.
• They were disguised as peasants, refugees and
  workers.

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Tet Offensive Begins

• January 31, 1968 - 84,000 Viet Cong guerrillas
  aided by NVA troops launch the Tet Offensive
  attacking a hundred cities and towns throughout
  South Vietnam.
• They used the Tet truce agreement to aid the
  element of surprise.

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Major Targets

• 35 of 44 provincial capitals including the
  ancient city of Hue.
• Capital of South Vietnam Saigon.
• US Embassy in Saigon.

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Attack on US Embassy

• January 31, 1968
• 19 VC commandos blew their way through the outer
  walls of the Embassy and overran the five MP's on
  duty.
• 2 MP's were killed as the VC tried to blast their
  way through the main Embassy doors with anti-tank
  rockets.

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Attack Fails

• The VC failed and found themselves pinned-down by
  the Marine guards who kept the VC in an intense
  firefight.
• By mid-morning, the battle had turned.
• All 19 VC were killed, their bodies scattered
  around the Embassy courtyard.

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Battle for Hue

• January 31- March 2
• 12,000 NVA and Viet Cong troops storm the lightly
  defended historical city.
• South Vietnamese troops and three U.S. Marine
  battalions counter-attack and engage in the
  heaviest fighting of the entire Tet Offensive.
• See pictures on next slide.

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Massacre in Hue

• Over 3000 "enemies of the people" including South
  Vietnamese government officials, captured South
  Vietnamese officers, and Catholic priests were
  executed by the Viet Cong and NVA in Hue.

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Tet Offensive Success or Failure

• Much like the Vietnam war itself, deciding
  whether Tet was a success or a failure is very
  confusing!
• Either way, the Tet Offensive today is seen as
  the turning point of the war.

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Tet Offensive Failure

• Militarily for the NVA and VC, it was a huge
  failure.
• All attacks were turned back and the uprisings
  predicted did not take place.
• Crippling losses for NVA and VC would make it
  years before the NVA could launch another big
  scale attack.
• The Viet Cong would never recover fully from the
  losses they sustained during the Tet Offensive.

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Losses during Tet Offensive
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Tet Offensive Success

• The Tet Offensive was both a big public relations
  and psychological victory for the communists.
• There were several reasons Giap was able to claim
  success after the offensive.

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Contradiction

• The optimistic assessments made prior to the Tet
  offensive by the administration and the Pentagon
  came under heavy criticism
• The "credibility gap" that had opened in 1967
  widened into a chasm.
• Many Americans did not believe LBJ or Gen.
  Westmorelands assessment of the war.

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The Living Room War

• Parts of the Tet Offensive were captured on film.
• Many Americans saw first hand the assault on the
  US embassy in Saigon.
• Brought the war home for many Americans.
• Next slide is one of the most famous images from
  the Vietnam War.

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Walter Cronkite

• "For it seems now more certain than ever,"
  Cronkite said, "that the bloody experience of
  Vietnam is to end in a stalemate." 
• After watching Cronkite's broadcast, LBJ was
  quoted as saying. "That's it. If I've lost
  Cronkite, I've lost middle America."

Respected CBS Anchorman turns against the War in
Vietnam
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Political Fallout in US

• The pressure from Vietnam on President Johnson
  increased after Tet.
• On March 31, 1968, Johnson announced that he
  would not seek another term as President.

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American Losses

• Starting with the Tet Offensive in January 1968
  became the bloodiest and costliest year for US
  troops in Vietnam.
• Losses in 1968 made the call to bring the troops
  home louder.

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Anti-War Movement

• The Tet Offensive also helped unite those at home
  in their dissenting opinions of the war.
• The Anti-War movement really began to strengthen,
  especially during the election year of 1968.

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Conclusion

• The Tet Offensive importance lies in the fact
  that it broke the will of the American government
  and people to continue the fight.
• Tet turned many people, especially the US media,
  against the Vietnam War.

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THE END