Tet+Offensive

Tet Offensive  The Tet Offensive was a series of surprise attacks by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces, on cities, towns, and hamlets throughout all of South Vietnam. Vietnamese leaders did not believe that they could win the war unless they performed an all out attack against the United States with a combined military effort. One of the most controversial things to consider when talking about the Tet offensive it the morale it gave the Vietnamese. Technically the United States won but it was a moral and political win for the Vietnamese which is sometimes more important than a technical win.

 The Tet offensive was originally described as a failure for the Vietcong, pointing to their retreat and many many casualties. General William Westmoreland reported that to beat the Vietnamese we would need 200,000 more American soldiers and require an activation of the reserves, there was a change in strategy needed greatly. To Americans at home Tet demonstrated the boldness of the Vietcong and the slim control South Vietnam had over its own territory, Tet also helped unite Americans at home in their opinions of the war effort.

 "Tet Offensive." United States American History. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. < __http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1862.html>.__

 Walton, Jennifer. "The Tet Offensive: The Turning Point of the Vietnam War." Magazine of History 5(2004):45. eLibrary. Web. 28 Apr. 2012.