The Tet Offensive: Turning Point in Vietnam

In 1968, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Communist rebels known as Viet Cong took advantage of the most important Vietnamese holiday by attacking South Vietnam and its American allies when they least expected it. The Communists hoped their daring offensive would stir revolutionary fervor in the South Vietnamese and inspire them to join the Communist cause. That didn't happen, but the offensive did change the outcome of the war--in a way the Communists could not have expected. The Vietnamese people believe Tet (the lunar new year) sets a precedent for the rest of the year. Families observe the holiday with a week of feasting, praying, and exchanging gifts. During the Vietnam War, the two sides would observe a cease-fire so everyone could celebrate Tet. At 3 AM on January 31, 1968, however, NVA and Viet Cong troops capitalized on the cease-fire by launching coordinated attacks on 36 South Vietnamese cities and towns. Although most of these attacks were defeated within hours or days, the fighting in Vietnam's former capital, Hue, raged for 25 days. Much of the violence was replayed on American television, and 142 Marines died in the battle. Nearly 3,000 civilians were murdered during a Communist purge of the city. The Viet Cong was virtually eliminated as a direct result of the Tet offensive (leaving the war to be fought by the NVA), but the surprise and intensity of the attack was a public-relations disaster for the US. Coming at a time when American military leaders had been telling the US public that victory was near, the Tet offensive fueled the flames of protest against America's involvement in Vietnam. By the time Richard Nixon took office as president a year later, opposition to the war was so strong that Nixon began withdrawing US troops.