The Tet Offensive of 1968 was a coordinated surprise attack by North Vietnamese forces against US and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnamese lunar new year festival of Tet. Though the North Vietnamese forces were ultimately defeated, the offensive had important strategic and political impacts. It shook US public support for the war by highlighting weaknesses in US and South Vietnamese forces and contradicting previous claims of military success. While the US and South Vietnam fought off the attacks, the extensive media coverage of the brutality of the war eroded trust in US political and military leaders and their assessments of the conflict. This began a decline in support for continuing the war and influenced President Johnson's decision not to seek re-election.

1. TET OFFENSIVE 1968
By Chris Esparza

2. TET BACKGROUND
• The Tet Offensive was a coordinated attack on
US forces and South Vietnamese forces by using
the element of surprise. Considering Tet Is a big
holiday in Vietnam, most of the time nobody
fights on Tet.
• NVA forces utilized most of the elements noted
in the principles of war. The main principle that
was missed was unity of command. In most raids
that were attempted, when the leading officer
was killed, the unity of command deteriorated
and the US forces would counter attack with
minimal casualties.

3. TET OFFENSIVE, GOOD ON PAPER BAD IN
PRACTICE
• Principles of War in practice as used by the NVA
• Mass: 20,000-40,000 Troops across Vietnam Attacking at the same time
• Objective: Destabilize and take key bases in South Vietnam
• Speed/Surprise: Attack on Tet in the middle of the night when nobody
expects it.
• Simplicity: Attacks weren’t complicated just kill as many as you can
• Maneuver: Maneuver was second nature as they were familiar with the
terrain both in the jungle and in urban settings. City fighting was harder
for US forces because they couldn’t call in airstrikes and there could be
potential snipers hidden in any window and any corner fell apart and
leadership was non-existent
• Offensive: Attacks were clear cut up until their commander was killed
• Unity of command: Communication fell apart and leadership was non-existent
once leading officer was killed
• Security: US forces gained advantage through killing enemy leaders and by
literally fighting their way through the attacks
• Economy of force: Forces were used strategically but were spread thin,
resupply and backup became virtually impossible

4. DELAYED VICTORY FOR NORTH VIETNAM
General Vo Nguyen Giap planned and led the Tet Offensive. The objective of the Tet Offensive
was a carefully crafted plan that was meant to destabilize the forces in South Vietnam, in
hopes of making it easier for North Vietnam to take south Vietnam, the attack was also meant
to inspire people to rise up as well and fight from the south. That however did not work, there
was never an inspired uprising from South Vietnam. US and South Vietnamese forces fought
their way through the attacks in Hue and Saigon and across various positions throughout
Vietnam. Even though the Tet Offensive was lost, the ensuing controversy that came out of it
did more for North Vietnam than the actual battle. This began a downward slope of morale for
US troops and the US government.

5. EXECUTIONS DURING TET FROM BOTH SIDES
• Other objectives included rounding up
and executing members of the South
Vietnamese government, their families
and anyone else who is support of the
United States.
• US forces and South Vietnamese Forces
were brutal when it came to dealing
with captured NVA or Viet Cong
soldiers. The infamous photo of the
public execution of an NVA operative
did a lot of damage to the public
opinion of the war. The photo spread
without the context and people on
both sides quickly decided before any
truths could be told.

6. COORDINATED ATTACK ON US FORCES
• This attack was unprecedented. Not
only was it by surprise, but the US
embassy Saigon and Hue were under
attack at the same time as well as
various bases and locations.
• The battle was brutal but US troops
overcame the odds despite being
caught with their pants down.

7. PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE WAR DECREASED
Western Commie
Sympathizers/ Supposed
“Musicians/Artists”
With the media covering the war
extensively, public support began
to decline steadily. The coverage
showcased the brutality that both
sides participated in. Because the
media showed the true cost of
war many people began to
publicly question the meaning
and authority on why we were in
Vietnam in the first place.

8. MORE SUPPORT TO END THE WAR IN VIETNAM
• Because of the events that unfolded
during The Tet Offensive, people began
to distrust LBJ, Robert Macnamara and
General Westmoreland, people were
seeing the toll being taken on young
soldiers and were skeptical on any
validity that our leaders may have had.
This became the credibility gap and it
became a key factor in changing the
tide of the war.

9. LBJ BACKS OUT
• The real victory of morale for North
Vietnam came when LBJ made a formal
appearance to announce that he wasn’t
going to seek out a second term.
• The leadership of the United States was in a
crisis, LBJ’s approval rating went to hell
after news of the Tet Offensive got out. The
media showed how poorly the organization
was and how brutal this televised war was
getting. Even though US forces fought
through Tet successfully the public had
already made up its mind.

10. PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER?
• Although we had an amazing multi million
dollar, jungle clearing arsenal that wasn’t
enough to make up for the fact that this
was an unpopular war. This war was poorly
handled, had there been better
communication and better leadership with
a clear understanding of what the objective
was, then maybe we could’ve had a chance
in making a difference. In the end public
opinion and extensive media coverage
coupled with low troop morale ended
finally ended a war that was never really
supposed to be started in the first place.

11. SOURCES
• http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-
war/tet-offensive
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Pnqs
bsWJk
• THE PRINCIPLES OF WAR: VALID
YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND
TOMORROW, Lonnie R Harrelson
• https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-
1968/tet
• The Tet Offensive: Intelligence Failure in
War
• By James J. Wirtz