Tet The Turning Point

Lesson Objectives Understand and summarize the military and domestic political situation on the Vietnam War in January Describe and analyze the events of the Tet 1968 Offensive in Vietnam. Describe and analyze the operational and strategic significance of the Tet Offensive.

Major Issues Tet 68: The Turning Point How was the Tet offensive portrayed in the U.S. news media? What was the Communist objective for the Tet 68 Offensive? What was Tet (the holiday)? How did this fit into their Strategy of Revolutionary War? Why did the Communist choose Tet to launch their attack? What were the results of the offensive: Militarily (tactically)? Politically (strategically)? What happened during the Tet 68 attacks in Saigon? Hué?

Strategy of Revolutionary War Phase I: Targeted state stronger militarily Revolutionaries avoid combat Guerrilla war: raids, ambushes, sabotage, terrorism Political conflict predominant Phase II: Rough military parity Combined guerrilla and conventional war Military and political conflict equally important Phase III: Revolution stronger than targeted state Revolutionary forces go to totally conventional war “General Offensive” linked to political “Great Uprising” Generic: Used in Chinese Civil War, First & Second Indochina Wars Review

Strategy of Revolutionary War General Characteristics It is a total war It is wage with total unity of effort It is, by necessity and choice, a protracted war It stresses gaining and keeping the initiative It is a changing war (shift between phases) It is a mosaic war (different phases, different areas) Davidson Review

Strategy of Revolutionary War Timeline : Phase I (guerrilla warfare) : Heated Politburo debate on transition : Phase II (guerrilla & conventional warfare) Increased large unit actions (Ia Drang, Khe Sanh) 1968 (early): Phase III (conventional warfare) The Tet Offensive

Decision to Tet 1968 North Vietnam's Politburo makes the decision to launch a widespread offensive against South Vietnam 7 Jul 67 Offensive planned with three components: Diversion: Attacks against remote border areas in an effort to lure American troops away from South Vietnam's cities. Main Attack (Tet Offensive): Attack against the cities themselves by Viet Cong forces aided by NVA troops in the hope of igniting a "general uprising" to overthrow the government of South Vietnam. Follow-on : Conventional invasion to capture all of South Vietnam Transition to Phase III of Revolutionary War

Timeline 7 Aug 64 Tonkin Gulf Resolution 2 Mar 65 8 Mar Spring 67 Early 1960’s NVA troops begin moving into South Vietnam Operation Rolling Thunder (bombing of North) begins Marines land at Da Nang North Vietnamese Army (NVA) increases pressure on South Siege of Khe Sanh Begins

Siege of Khe Sanh Spring March 1968

Khe Sahn

Siege of Khe Sanh YouTube

Tet Offensive 1968 Country-wide combined VC & NVA offensive intended to inspire popular uprising Began January 30, 1968 Attack on Khe Sanh began earlier as a diversion

Tet Offensive 1968 Country-wide combined VC & NVA offensive intended to inspire popular uprising Began January 30, 1968

Tet in Saigon

Video Pt 1 - 9:48

Tet Offensive 1968 Battle of Hué Jan 30 - Mar

Hué The Historic & Cultural Capital of Vietnam Hué Citadel In February 1966, LBJ asked Gen. Westmoreland, the US commander in Vietnam, what he would do next if he were the enemy commander “Capture Hué,” Westmoreland immediately replied. Almost two years to the day later, North Vietnam did just that

Hue Citadel Airfield

MACV Compound - Hue

Hue MACV Compound Officer Quarters

Tet in Hué Hué Citadel = Areas not captured

Tet Offensive 1968 Battle of Hué Jan 31- Mar

Tet Offensive 1968 Battle of Hué Jan 31- Mar Video (8:08)

Battle of Hué Video Pt 2 - 9:09Pt 4 - 9:10Pt 3 - 8:48Pt 5 - 7:02

Tet Offensive Military Results US and Vietnamese Dead: 6,000 PAVN and Viet Cong Dead: 40,000 (estimated) Viet Cong (NLF) essentially eliminated as a fighting force

Tet Offensive 1968 Turning point of the war … politically Saigon police chief executes Viet Cong Terrorist Photograph by Eddie Adams

Tet Offensive 1968 Walter Cronkite, CBS Evening News anchor, visited Vietnam Feb1968

Post-Tet Walter Cronkite Upon his return to the US, Cronkite delivered an unprecedented editorial comment on this trip (February 27, 1968) “To say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic, yet unsatisfactory, conclusion.” LBJ’s reply on hearing this: “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost middle America.” On March 31, 1968, President Johnson announced he would not seek re-election. Source Video 5:04 - 5:41

Cronkite on Vietnam War

Strategy of Revolutionary War : Phase I (guerrilla warfare) : Heated Politburo debate on transition : Phase II (guerrilla & conventional warfare) Increased large unit actions (Ia Drang, Khe Sanh) 1968 (mid): Phase II 1968 (early): Phase III (Tet Offensive) (conventional warfare) Military disaster (VC destroyed) “General Uprising” did not occur Strategic victory for the Communists none the less

US Strategy in Vietnam Clark Clifford, SecDef in 1968 Interviewed senior officials, military and civilian: none of them could tell him what constituted victory in Vietnam found that US had no military plan to win war Summers

US Strategy in Vietnam US had no clear strategy in Vietnam Never mobilized the American people Never committed sufficient force to win Never defined what “win” meant Tactical Victory, Strategic Defeat

Vietnam: The Home Front

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