The Tet Offensive was a major military campaign conducted during January-February 1968 by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam against South Vietnam, the United States, and their allies. It involved surprise attacks against major cities and towns across South Vietnam, including Saigon. Militarily, the offensive was a catastrophic failure for the Viet Cong and North Vietnam, as they suffered heavy losses. However, it had important political and psychological effects, undermining support for the war in the United States by contradicting claims by the Johnson administration that the end of the war was in sight. It marked a major turning point in the Vietnam War.

1. 1
The term "Tet offensive" usually refers
to the January-February 1968 NLF
offensive, but it can also include the so-
called "mini-Tet" offensives that took
place in May and August.

2. The Military
Battle
2

3.  The Vietnam War was
a military struggle
fought in Vietnam
from c. 1949 to 1975.
 It involved the North
Vietnamese and the
National Liberation
Front (NLF) in conflict
with Australian,
United States forces,
other allies and the
South Vietnamese
army. 3

4.  The longest military
conflict in Australian
and US history (1965-
1973). Nailing down a
date can be difficult.
 Australia suffered 521
killed and 2398
wounded, of whom 43
percent were national
servicemen.
 The hostilities in
Vietnam, Laos, and
Cambodia claimed the
lives of more than 58,000
Americans.
4

5.  Vietnam was divided
in half in 1954:
 North Communist
 South Democracy
 In 1965 Australia, the
US and other allies
sent in troops to
prevent the South
Vietnamese
government from
collapsing and turning
all of Vietnam
Communist.
5

6.  Between 1965 and
1967, the US increased
its military presence
dramatically.
 This policy led to
increased anti-war
demonstrations in
America.
 The US government
claimed progress was
being made.
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US
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7.  There was tension in
Vietnam during the
lead up to Tet.
 At Right a Monk in
South Vietnam lights
himself on fire to
protest South
Vietnamese
government.
7

8.  In November 1967 General
Westmoreland
spearheaded a public
relations drive for the
Johnson administration to
bolster flagging public
support.
 In a speech before the
National Press Club he
said that a point in the war
had been reached, "where
the end comes into view."
8

9.  In November 1967 General
Westmoreland
spearheaded a public
relations drive for the
Johnson administration to
bolster flagging public
support.
 In a speech before the
National Press Club he
said that a point in the war
had been reached, "where
the end comes into view."
9
SOURCE
CRITICISM
Is this source
accurate and reliable?
What inherent bias
may it possess?

10.  January 21, 1968 -
20,000 NVA troops
under the command
of Gen. Giap attack
the American air base
at Khe Sanh.
 A 77 day siege begins
as 6000 U.S. Marines
and ARVN troops in
the isolated outpost
are encircled.
10

11.  Find Khe Sahn and
see where it lies with
respect to the 17th
Parallel
 Why do you think
the US put a base
there?
 Do you think they
had learnt anything
from Dien Bien Phu?
11

12.  US focus was on the siege
of Khe Shahn.
 General Giap knew
Americans were protesting
war at home.
 Media attention was
becoming key factor.
 Giap also wanted to start a
people’s uprising in the
South against the US.
12

13.  Giap was aware of the growing US peace
movement and of the deep divisions the war was
causing in American society.
 What the General needed was a body-blow that
would break Washington's will to carry on.
 Wanted a quick and decisive victory that would be
well in time for the 1968 US Presidential campaign.
13

14.  Tet is the most
important and popular
holiday and festival in
Vietnam.
 It is the Vietnamese
New Year which is
based on the Lunar
calendar.
 Usually a 3 day holiday;
end of January.
14

15. 15
 Truce was declared so both sides of conflict
could celebrate Tet with their families.
 NVA and Viet Cong began sneaking into
cities with smuggled weapons.
 Used flower carts, rigged coffins and trucks
supposedly filled with rice and vegetables.
 They were disguised as peasants, refugees
and workers.

16.  January 31, 1968 - 84,000
Viet Cong guerrillas
aided by NVA troops
launch the Tet
Offensive attacking a
hundred cities and
towns throughout South
Vietnam.
 They used the Tet truce
agreement to aid the
element of surprise.
16

17.  35 of 44 provincial capitals
including the ancient city
of Hue.
 The capital of South
Vietnam – Saigon.
 US Embassy in Saigon.
 ARVN Units
 Show of Strength
 Diversions & False Fronts
Go to page 103 of your text to
study the Ho Chi Minh trail
17

18.  The USA tried very
hard to interdict or
destroy the trail.
 Looking at the
photos of the trail
why do you think
they were unable to
do this?
18

19.  January 31- March 7
 35 NVA and Viet Cong
battalions are defeated
by 50 battalions of
American and Allied
troops that had been
positioned to protect the
city on a hunch by Gen.
Fred Weyand.
 Weyand became known
as the “Savior of
Saigon” for his actions.
19

20.  January 31, 1968
 19 VC commandos blew
their way through the
outer walls of the
Embassy and overran
the five MP's on duty.
 2 MP's were killed as the
VC tried to blast their
way through the main
Embassy doors with
anti-tank rockets. 20

21.  The VC failed and
found themselves
pinned-down by the
Marine guards who
kept the VC in an
intense firefight.
 By mid-morning, the
battle had turned.
 All 19 VC were killed,
their bodies scattered
around the Embassy
courtyard.
21

22.  January 31- March 2
 12,000 NVA and Viet
Cong troops storm the
lightly defended
historical city.
 South Vietnamese troops
and three U.S. Marine
battalions counter-attack
and engage in the
heaviest fighting of the
entire Tet Offensive.
 See pictures on next slide.
22

23. 23

24.  Over 3000 "enemies of the people" including South
Vietnamese government officials, captured South
Vietnamese officers, and Catholic priests were
executed by the Viet Cong and NVA in Hue.
24

25. 0
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45000
US S. Vietnam NVA, VC Civilians
Killed
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26.  Giap’s plan had called
for a quick victory. He
was overextended,
under supplied and
without reinforcements.
The quick win did not
happen.
 ARVN forces stood
their ground.
 Us Air power was
crucial
 No uprising resulted
26

27.  Much like the Vietnam war itself, deciding
whether Tet was a success or a failure is very
confusing!
 Either way, the Tet Offensive today is seen as
the turning point of the war.
27

28.  Militarily for the NVA and VC, it was a huge failure.
 All attacks were turned back and the uprisings predicted
did not take place.
 Crippling losses for NVA and VC would make it years
before the NVA could launch another big scale attack.
 The Viet Cong would never recover fully from the losses
they sustained during the Tet Offensive.
28

29. The
Propaganda
Battle
Revision
29

30.  The Tet Offensive
was both a big public
relations and
psychological victory
for the communists.
 There were several
reasons Giap was
able to claim success
after the offensive.
30

31.  The optimistic assessments
made prior to the Tet
offensive by the
administration and the
Pentagon came under heavy
criticism
 The "credibility gap" that
had opened in 1967 widened
into a chasm.
 Many Americans did not
believe LBJ or Gen.
Westmoreland’s assessment
of the war.
31

32. A DISTORTED VIEW NEIL DAVIS – ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S
GREATEST WAR CORRESPONDENTS
WAS ONE OF THE MOST VOCAL
OPPONENTS OF THESE EVENTS
 Between 1965 and 1968 US
television networks distorted
the view of the war
 They portrayed it as a
romantic, heroic struggle
 They uncritically accepted
the version of events
presented to them by US
generals daily at 5pm.
 The Allied public were lead
to believe they were winning
the war
32
How could he know better
than the generals and the
other journalists?

33.  Parts of the Tet
Offensive were captured
on film.
 Many Australians &
Americans saw first
hand the assault on the
US embassy in Saigon.
 Brought the war home
for many.
 Next slide is one of the
most famous images from
the Vietnam War.
33

34. 34

35. 35
SOURCE CRITICISM
Is this source
accurate and
reliable?
What inherent bias
may it possess?

36.  Chief of Police of Saigon Nguyen
Ngoc Loan, whose execution of a
Viet Cong prisoner in Saigon
became one of the most chilling
images of the Vietnam War.
 Eddie Adams, whose photo of the
execution won a Pulitzer Prize for
The Associated Press, said:
the man Loan shot had been seen
killing others and that the
execution was justified.
 Some of those killed were the
families of General Loan's deputy
and close friend, and six of whom
were Loan's godchildren.
Does that make a difference to that
photo?
36

37.  "For it seems now more
certain than ever,"
Cronkite said, "that the
bloody experience of
Vietnam is to end in a
stalemate."
 After watching
Cronkite's broadcast,
LBJ was quoted as
saying: "That's it. If I've
lost Cronkite, I've lost
middle America."
37
Respected CBS Anchorman
turns against the War in Vietnam

38.  "For it seems now more
certain than ever,"
Cronkite said, "that the
bloody experience of
Vietnam is to end in a
stalemate."
 After watching
Cronkite's broadcast,
LBJ was quoted as
saying: "That's it. If I've
lost Cronkite, I've lost
middle America."
38
Respected CBS Anchorman
turns against the War in Vietnam
SOURCE
CRITICISM
Are these sources
relevant and
representative?
What inherent bias
may they possess?

39.  The pressure from Vietnam
on President Johnson
increased after Tet.
 What were the
consequences of LBJ’s
decision to resign?
39
How might the public interpret
this picture?

40.  Starting with the Tet
Offensive in January;
1968 became the
bloodiest and
costliest year for US
troops in Vietnam.
 Losses in 1968 made
the call to bring the
troops home louder.
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Killed in
Action
40

41. Australian Army
casualties in Vietnam
by year, 1962–72
BC = Battle casualty
NBC = Non-battle casualty
www.awm.gov.au
Australian War memorial
12/9/10
Can you Identify any
patterns here?
Year BC NBC Total
1962 0 0 0
1963 0 1 1
1964 1 0 1
1965 11 5 16
1966 56 7 63
1967 70 11 81
1968 102 5 107
1969 95 9 104
1970 54 11 65
1971 28 12 40
1972 0 0 0
Total 417 61 478
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42. ALLIED STRENGTH:
C. 1,000,000
VC & NVA STRENGTH:
400,000-500,000
 Total Allied military
casualties:
Approximately 45,820
casualties:
 9,078 killed
 35,212 wounded
 1,530 missing
 Total VC & NVA
military casualties:
Approximately 111,179
casualties:
 44,842 killed
 61,267 wounded
 5,070 missing
42
Civilian: 14,000 killed, 24,000 wounded

43.  The Tet Offensive also
helped unite those at
home in their
dissenting opinions of
the war.
 The Anti-War
movement really
began to strengthen,
especially during the
election year of 1968.
43

44.  The Tet Offensive
importance lies in the
fact that it broke the will
of the American people
to continue the fight and
consequently, the
American Government .
 Tet turned many people,
especially the US media,
against the Vietnam War.
44

45. 45

46. A modern equivalent of Tet
This is an empathy exercise. Click on the
link. It is to a site that may shock you
about an event currently going on. How
you feel may enable you to imagine how
people were shocked by Tet.
http://www.obleek.com/iraq/
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