Tet Offensive

The Tet Offensive marked a major turning point in the Vietnam War (1954–75). It began on the Vietnamese New Year holiday of Tet on January 30, 1968, and lasted three weeks, and involved a combined force of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong (Communist civilian soldiers who fought alongside North Vietnamese troops) who attacked major South Vietnamese cities and outlying towns.

Shattered civilian life

Throughout Vietnam, cities that had been immune from the war were attacked and, in many cases, destroyed during the Tet Offensive. The attack was a shock to the South Vietnamese because Tet was the most important holiday in Vietnam. Its atmosphere of goodwill and cheer could be compared to the American Christmas holiday. No one was expecting escalated fighting.

The North Vietnamese did not win the Tet Offensive militarily. They did capture and hold many cities for three weeks, but in the end, they held none permanently. In addition, the uprising and defection of South Vietnamese revolutionaries they were hoping for never happened. Psychologically, however, the Tet campaign was a major victory for the North Vietnamese. Despite heavy American bombing and unceasing search-and-destroy missions, neither American military forces nor their South Vietnamese allies were able to protect any place in South Vietnam. The Tet Offensive proved the determination of the North Vietnamese forces.

Forced new U.S. policy

Back in America, Tet reinforced an already-growing antiwar sentiment. The general public had been assured by President Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973; served 1963–69) that victory in Vietnam was just around the corner; the Tet Offensive proved just the opposite. To continue fighting the war would mean the loss of thousands of more American lives, greater economic sacrifice on the homefront, and the destruction of South Vietnamese homes and innocent lives. The price would be incredibly high, and the Tet Offensive promised as much.

In Washington, the Tet Offensive sparked great debate among military leaders and the Defense Department. The military wanted to take advantage of the Tet Offensive and expand America's presence in Vietnam. Many officials within the Defense Department doubted the wisdom of an escalation of war. They questioned even the continuation of fighting the war using the strategies currently in place. Their analysis showed that no progress had been made since mid-1965, and it seemed clear that either a new approach or end to U.S. involvement was necessary. President Johnson took the advice of the Defense Department and accepted the policy of Vietnamization, which meant pulling back and providing a shield behind which South Vietnam could rebuild its fighting forces with American weapons. From there, the country could fight its own war.