Essay on The Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War - 2394 Words

The Tet Offensive The Tet Offensive was a major assault by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the U.S. forces situated there. It was not only a psychological advance for the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong, but also gave the United States a notion that the war wasn’t going to be an easy win, and the chances of winning the war were, in fact, very slim. The war initially was an attempt to limit the spread of communism throughout Asia. Similar to Korea, Vietnam was in a civil war divided by political ideologies. (2) The Domino Effect is the idea that when one nation falls to communism, other nations around it in time will fall (2). Under the fear of this happening in Vietnam, the United†¦show more content†¦Live coverage of the VC attack on the U.S. embassy in Saigon gave the American public a different view on the war (7). Now, not only had attacks been made on the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and U.S. forces, but fire had also been directed at American diplomatic soil. An even more negative impact came from the public execution of a VC suspect. Without trial, he was sentenced to death, and within minutes was shot in the head by an ARVN regular from point-blank range in the streets of Saigon. (6) The release of this footage, as well as other footage that revealed unjust treatment of Vietnamese, gave the antiwar effort more strength (4). Eventually, the media’s coverage was a severe blow to the war effort. In a live CBS broadcast in 1968, Walter Cronkite gave his own personal opinion of the war. â€Å"It seems now more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate.† (3) Though he never actually said it â€Å"on the record,† the American public viewed the statement as labeling the war un-winnable (6). Because of the shift in public opinion, Lyndon Baines Johnson, President of the United States, decided not to run for Democratic Party nomination in the upcoming election (3). He felt that he was certain to lose. After viewing Cronkite’s broadcast, he turned to his press secretary and said, â€Å"If I’ve lost Walter, I’ve lost Mr. Average Citizen.† (6) As for the U.S. forces and theShow MoreRelatedThe Tet Offensive Of The Vietnam War2264 Words   |  10 Pagesthe war is almost over and would be leaving soon. The North on the other hand was preparing there last stand the Tet Offensive. The communist rule in Vietnam would not go out with out a fight they planned air raids on 40 cities. The key city they wanted to focus on was the city of Saigon, this was the capital city of the democratic Vietnam. If they could take this city over this would mostly likely mean the withdrawal of the United States. The Tet offensive was the turning point in the Vietnam warRead MoreThe Tet Offensive Of The Vietnam War4649 Words   |  19 PagesJanuary 31, 1968 North Vietnamese attacked over 100 cities throughout South Vietnam on thirty-five of forty-four province capitals, thirty-six district towns, and many villages and hamlets. Dubbed the â€Å"Tet Offensive† because it coincided with the Vietnamese New Year’s holiday, Tet, was a turning point in the Vietnam War. Most historians agree that the Tet Offensive was the turning point in the Vietnam War as events shifted the role of United States involvement in Southeast Asia as the shock itRead MoreTet Offensive And Its Impact On The Vietnam War1347 Words   |  6 PagesTet Offensive The Tet Offensive received its name from the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, the American public and further holiday called Tet (Tet Offensive n.p.).The series of surprise attacks that the North Vietnam and Viet Cong forces launched to attack many of South Vietnam cities and U.S. Embassy in Saigon is known today as the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive played a role in the Vietnam War and was considered to many Americans, soldiers, and even the President as a turning point in theRead MoreThe Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War Essay2446 Words   |  10 PagesWhen asked about the United States’ involvement in Vietnam Charles de Gaulle responded by saying, â€Å"I predict†¦ that you will, step by step, be sucked into a bottomless military and political quagmire† (Wills 29). The Vietnam War should have been negotiated to an end and troops removed directly following the Tet Offensive, because by that time, it was made evident that further fighting would only cause m ore unnecessary harms. Often in history nations try to justify their actions any way they canRead MoreThe Vietnam War And Impact Of The Tet Offensive On American Ideology4408 Words   |  18 PagesThe Vietnam War and the Impact of the Tet Offensive on American Ideology Isabel Shea January 31, 1968 North Vietnamese attacked over 100 cities throughout South Vietnam on thirty-five of forty-four province capitals, thirty-six district towns, and many villages and hamlets. Dubbed the â€Å"Tet Offensive† because it coincided with the Vietnamese New Year’s holiday, Tet, was a turning point in the Vietnam War. Most historians agree that the Tet Offensive was the turning point in the Vietnam War as eventsRead MoreWhy Did The Tet Offensive Affect America s Societal Opinion On The Involvement Of The Vietnam War1739 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract: Subject: History Title: The Tet Offensive, Turning point of 1968. In january, 1968 the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam war was launched. The Tet Offensive was a carefully planned military campaign composed of surprise attacks on the republic of Vietnam by the communist parties of North and South Vietnam during the vietnamese holiday, Tet. The Tet offensive, militarily was a massive defeat for the communist parties of Vietnam, however it led to mass disillusionment within the U.S., diminishingRead MoreTo what extent can the Tet Offensive of 1968 be described as a key turning point in the Vietnam War in the Years 1963-73? (30 marks)842 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Tet Offensive of 1968 be described as a key turning point in the Vietnam War in the Years 1963-73? (30 marks) The Tet Offensive could be described as a key turning point because it shook USA’s confidence in winning the war, both sides changed their tactics and also because it led to a decrease of support for the war in the USA. However there were many other key turning points such as the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the attack at Pleiku and the Battle of Ac Bac. Overall the Tet Offensive couldRead MoreThe Vietnam War1212 Words   |  5 PagesThe Vietnam War was another United States attempt in containing Communism in southeastern Asia. To this point in the Cold War, containment dominated U.S. foreign policy and already led the U.S. into a war, Korea. In 1964, The North Vietnamese attacked the U.S.S. Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin. Soon after the attack, the U.S. Senate crafted the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave President Johnson the ability to engage in the Vietnam War (Phillips). President Johnson immediately sent thousands ofRead MorePresident Lyndon B. Johnson1227 Words   |   5 PagesAmerica’s effort to secure a genuine victory in Vietnam was severely hindered by the Tet Offensive. This critical turning point had a tremendous impact on the public’s support for the war and the way the media reported the war to the American people. As a result, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided not to run for reelection, seeing that he would struggle to even keep his party’s nomination. Considered one of the worst wars fought in American history, the Vietnam War created many controversies and casualties:Read MoreThe Tet Offensive1443 Words   |  6 PagesThe Tet Offensive was unquestionably the biggest occurrence of the Vietnam War. While the military success of the Viet Cong in mounting a sustained revolt in cities across South Vietnam was virtually non-existent, the psychological impact it had on the American public was quite simply phenomenal. This effect was partially due to the reporting of the war by the media. To completely understand the impacts of Tet, we must first understand the goals of Tet. The execution of Tet was a failure on the