1. The 1968 Tet Offensive by Ky Quy Vu February 25, 2008
Before beginning, allow introductions. If audience is too large, get a show of hands of who are principals, teachers, other staff, parents, and community members.
Get a show of hands of who are at elementary, middle, and high school divisions.
Define your role: Support principals and SSCs in being high performing decision-making body for their school.
Professional development
Mediation and/or conflict resolution
Compliance monitoring

2. Agenda Prelude to the Tet Offensive The Concerted Attack
The Military Consequence
The Political Consequence
Conclusion

3. PRELUDE: Stalled momentum in 1965
Set Battles
Communists decision to hold ground
Engagements of regiment size
The Communists failure, heavy losses
Major operations
Into Communist strongholds
Denying enemy sanctuary
Denying chance attack
Sapping enemy supply ability

4. PRELUDE – Capability: Supply from North
Infiltration from North Vietnam:
4,500 troops monthly
More than 22,300 tons of supplies before Tet

5. PRELUDE - Capability: Infrastructure
Infrastructure intact in SVN
Logistic system in Mekong Delta
Financial Support

6. OFFENSIVE: Diversionary Attacks
The siege of Khe Sanh
The attacks at border outposts
The final attacks at Khe Sanh
Failure to distract American defense
Psi-war succeeded in distracting SVN

7. OFFENSIVE - All Out Attacks: Go for Broke
General Offensive
25 Major Cities
Several minor cities, townships
Total forces committed
97 independent battalions
Many commando units
Six others Main Force regiments

8. OFFENSIVE: in Saigon Capital
15 Communist battalions ( in strength)
2 commando battalions
Main targets:

9. OFFENSIVE: Hue Theater
7,000 troops attack
Communist seizing control of city
Digging in the old fortified Citadel
Occupation and massacre
At least 3,000 victims of massacres

10. MILITARY CONSEQUENCES
Combat Losses
On the run
Downward Trend
Loss of sanctuaries
Disintegrated infrastructure

11. POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE
Weakened presence inside South Vietnam
Gaining points on media scale
Big political gain in Washington
Paris peace talks

12. Conclusion: Lessons Learned
Media and American intelligentsia
Performance of the South Vietnamese Army.
Communist atrocities and media collusion
“WWII” versus “VN War” America