The Tet Offensive

There was a … in Vietnam

stalemate

why did US actions cause a stalemate in Vietnam

• The US tactics were too inflexible and did not address the tactics used by the Vietcong

• US soldiers were not motivated to succeed (growing public protest movement against the war)

• US tactics of Operation Rolling Thunder

why did NV actions cause a stalemate in Vietnam

• The NV were supported by the Chinese & the USSR with military supplies

• NV did not have the capability to do anything beyond guerilla tactics

• The Northern forces were well organised and had good logistical organisation

Summarise the Tet Offensive

During the traditional holiday period linked to the Tet religious celebrations, a period of time when fighting usually died down, the VC launches a series of simultaneous military attacks against US targets in over 100 towns & cities in SV including the US embassy in Saigon. The events were televised by US TV.

when was the Tet offensive

Jan 30th 1968 until Feb 24th

why did the VC attack during Tet?

there was usually a ceasefire during it, so many ARVN were off duty for the holiday

how did the VC distract US forces

1. The VC attacked areas in South Vietnam, south of the DMZ to lure US & ARVN troops away from cities & military bases

2. North Vietnam suggested it might be willing to negotiate for peace, making the US think they were going to give in

3. On the 20th Jan, North Vietnamese troops surrounded & attacked the Khe Sanh base near the DMZ, General Westmoreland sent 6,000 US troops & bombers to defend it

why was Tet shocking

1. South Vietnamese cities were regarded as the safest part of the country for the US & ARVN, but now they seemed vulnerable

2. Attacks were on a huge scale: 84,000 communist troops took part (was a change after years of hit & run attacks)

The Tet Offensive was a … in US strategy towards the Vietnam War

turning point

why was the Tet offensive a turning point

V reports made the public angry at the escalation which they now viewed as a mistake. The public believed that the war had reached a stalemate, there were 550,000 ground troops in Vietnam, and believed that the US should withdraw.

The US did not view the Tet Offensive as a …

military failure, rather a psychological defeat which signalled the failure of military containment.

In March 1968 President Johnson announced…

that he would not run for re-election. McNamara was replaced by Clark Clifford (an opponent of escalation) as Secretary of State. The Tet marked the move away from military containment.