TET Offensive Flashcards
What was the TET Offensive?
On the 30th January 1968, there was a temporary ceasefire in honour of Tet (a Vietnamese holiday). The Vietcong broke the ceasefire and attacked towns, cities, US military bases and the US embassy in Saigon
Why did the Vietcong do the TET Offensive?
They wanted to inspire the people of South Vietnam to rise up against their government and the US forces
They hoped the US public would withdraw support for the war if they saw the US troops being defeated
How did the TET Offensive happen?
The Vietcong had been launching smaller attacks away from major cities to make sure there were fewer US troops in Saigon
For months, the Vietcong had been piling up weapons in homes around Saigon
What was the US action towards the TET Offensive?
US forces regained control of towns and cities quickly
They used their advanced technology and training to defeat the Vietcong
The US response seriously weakened the Vietcong by killing 10,000 fighters and 50,000 North Vietnamese
What was the impact of the TET Offensive on the US military?
The US army had used lots of artillery and air power in its response
The war was costing over $30 billion a year and over 300 US troops were being killed each week
The US public began to doubt that the US army would win the war and if the human and financial cost was worth it
