The Tet Offensive
During the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, a holiday called Tet, North and South Vietnamese forces would traditionally call a truce to allow soldiers to return to their families to celebrate. During the Tet holiday of 1968, however, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces broke the truce and attacked many of the major metropolitan areas of South Vietnam, including the capital city of Saigon. This attack, taken completely by surprise, caught South Vietnamese and United States forces off-guard, with enemy forces even managing to infiltrate the seemingly impenetrable United States embassy in Saigon.
Although the attacks were rather devastating, the United States and South Vietnamese reacted swiftly, countering the offensive and successfully repelling all opposing forces. Within weeks, all of the captured cities and territories were reclaimed, and damage was inflicted upon the North Vietnamese that was nearly double that which the North had initially inflicted upon the South.
This attack and counter attack are officially referred to as the "Tet Offensive." Despite the United States' and South Vietnam's tactical victory in the offensive, the attack is still widely regarded as a strategic failure for the two powers and a turning point for the success of the United States in the war. This defeat is widely due to the fact that the American media, largely journalists and news reporters, had received false information about the offensive that labelled it an enormous failure for the United States forces involved in it. One of the major reports, made by Walter Cronkite, is seen below:
Although the attacks were rather devastating, the United States and South Vietnamese reacted swiftly, countering the offensive and successfully repelling all opposing forces. Within weeks, all of the captured cities and territories were reclaimed, and damage was inflicted upon the North Vietnamese that was nearly double that which the North had initially inflicted upon the South.
This attack and counter attack are officially referred to as the "Tet Offensive." Despite the United States' and South Vietnam's tactical victory in the offensive, the attack is still widely regarded as a strategic failure for the two powers and a turning point for the success of the United States in the war. This defeat is widely due to the fact that the American media, largely journalists and news reporters, had received false information about the offensive that labelled it an enormous failure for the United States forces involved in it. One of the major reports, made by Walter Cronkite, is seen below:
Reports like these had an enormous influence on the American public, convincing civilians that the war was not winnable. After Cronkite made his report, Lyndon B. Johnson, then current President of the United States, acknowledged the power of the media by saying, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America."
The reason why the media was so quick to report the offensive as a failure was because of the fact that earlier in the war the United States government had exclusively reported successes, even though there were just as many failures. When those failures were exposed, it had caused a backlash within the public which the media gained an interest in. As a result, when the government stated that the Tet Offensive was a success, but firsthand reports had said it was a failure, the news media reported it as a failure to generate public opposition towards the war and the government for the way it was handling it.
In conclusion, the Tet Offensive was a turning point in the war because of the fact that it played such a huge role in shifting public opinion on it. It caused Americans all over the country to go from supporting the war to opposing it, and it caused an enormous nationwide distrust towards the United States government and how it handled world affairs. As a result of this lack in support, one of the largest countercultures in American history began to flourish, one which greatly opposed the war and the United States' involvement in it. This sudden opposition would be decisive in determining the war's result, leading to a steep decline in the home-front war effort. This, in turn, led to troops eventually being pulled out of Vietnam.
An official cease-fire between American and North Vietnamese forces was signed by President Nixon in 1973, and the last of the American troops were evacuated from Vietnam in 1975.
The reason why the media was so quick to report the offensive as a failure was because of the fact that earlier in the war the United States government had exclusively reported successes, even though there were just as many failures. When those failures were exposed, it had caused a backlash within the public which the media gained an interest in. As a result, when the government stated that the Tet Offensive was a success, but firsthand reports had said it was a failure, the news media reported it as a failure to generate public opposition towards the war and the government for the way it was handling it.
In conclusion, the Tet Offensive was a turning point in the war because of the fact that it played such a huge role in shifting public opinion on it. It caused Americans all over the country to go from supporting the war to opposing it, and it caused an enormous nationwide distrust towards the United States government and how it handled world affairs. As a result of this lack in support, one of the largest countercultures in American history began to flourish, one which greatly opposed the war and the United States' involvement in it. This sudden opposition would be decisive in determining the war's result, leading to a steep decline in the home-front war effort. This, in turn, led to troops eventually being pulled out of Vietnam.
An official cease-fire between American and North Vietnamese forces was signed by President Nixon in 1973, and the last of the American troops were evacuated from Vietnam in 1975.