Tet Offensive

Setting the scene

The Tet Offensive began on January 30, 1968, when North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched coordinated attacks on over 100 cities and bases in South Vietnam during the Tet lunar new year holiday. About 80,000 communist troops attacked Saigon, Hue, and other targets, including the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, which was briefly breached. The offensive violated a holiday truce and surprised U.S. and South Vietnamese forces.

What happened

Militarily, the Tet Offensive was a defeat for the communists—they suffered 45,000-50,000 casualties and failed to hold any cities or spark a popular uprising. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces recaptured all positions within weeks, and the Viet Cong was devastated as a fighting force. The battle for Hue was particularly brutal, with 5,000 civilians executed by communists and the city destroyed by U.S. bombing.

Why it still matters

Psychologically, Tet was a turning point. U.S. media coverage, especially the image of a South Vietnamese police chief executing a Viet Cong prisoner on camera and the fighting in Saigon, contradicted official claims that the war was being won. Public support for the war collapsed. Walter Cronkite declared the war a stalemate. President Johnson, facing political disaster, announced on March 31 he would not seek reelection. Tet demonstrated that the U.S. could win battles but not the war, and it began the path to American withdrawal.

Background

US public support for the war collapsed.