Module 5: The Tet Offensive

The Tet Offensive

The Tet Offensive, launched in January 1968 during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet), was a massive coordinated military campaign by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Viet Cong, targeting over 100 cities and towns across South Vietnam. The most dramatic and shocking attacks occurred in Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, where the Viet Cong breached the U.S. Embassy and fought fierce battles in the heart of the city. The offensive also targeted key military bases, including the U.S. Marine garrison at Khe Sanh. Although the attacks were militarily unsuccessful for the North Vietnamese—who suffered heavy casualties and were ultimately repelled—the Tet Offensive had profound political and psychological consequences. It shattered the perception that the U.S. was winning the war and highlighted the vulnerability of American forces in South Vietnam, despite months of optimistic reports from U.S. commanders like General William Westmoreland.

The scale of the offensive and its impact on morale were deeply felt both on the ground and back home in the United States. The ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) forces, whom the U.S. had been training and supporting, were overwhelmed by the ferocity of the attacks, exposing the inadequacy of South Vietnam's military and its reliance on American support. The heavy casualties suffered by U.S. troops and the South Vietnamese forces, coupled with the realization that the Viet Cong could strike at will in South Vietnam’s cities, dealt a major blow to American morale. While the U.S. military did manage to regain control of the territory quickly, the offensive exposed the gap between the optimistic assessments of General Westmoreland and the reality of a prolonged, unpopular war. Images of the fierce urban combat, including the dramatic footage of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon being attacked, were broadcast on American television, deeply influencing the public’s perception of the war.

The Tet Offensive acted as a catalyst for the growing anti-war movement in the United States. The stark contrast between the government's optimistic portrayals of progress in Vietnam and the reality of the surprise offensive contributed to a dramatic shift in American public opinion. While the military managed to recover from the offensive, the psychological and political damage was significant. The heavy losses sustained by American forces, combined with the shock of the attacks and the realization that victory was not imminent, sparked widespread protests across the U.S. and fueled growing opposition to the war. Many Americans began to question the rationale for continuing the conflict, with public trust in the government and military leadership, particularly General Westmoreland, eroding. The Tet Offensive not only exposed the challenges of the war but also set the stage for a broader national reckoning with U.S. involvement in Vietnam, which would continue to intensify through the late 1960s and early 1970s.