tet offensive analysis

The sound of gunfire alerted base sentries who secured the gate and sounded the alarm. The fact that there were no apparent military gains made that could possibly justify all the blood and effort just exacerbated the situation. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [147] The exact circumstances leading to the deaths of those citizens of Huế discovered in the mass graves may never be known exactly, but most of the victims were killed as a result of PAVN and VC executions, considering evidence from captured documents and witness testimonies among other things.[142][148][149]. Early in the morning, North Vietnamese troops and Viet Cong forces attacked both towns and cities in South Vietnam, breaking the ceasefire that had been called for the Vietnamese holiday of Tet (the lunar new year). The South Vietnamese military, although it had performed better than the Americans had expected, suffered from lowered morale, with desertion rates rising from 10.5 per thousand before Tet to 16.5 per thousand by July. Tet Offensive revision Two quick summary tasks to review the events and consequences of the Tet Offensive On January 31, 1968, coinciding with the Vietnamese Tet holiday, North Vietnam launched a massive conventional invasion, known officially as … [212] By obliquely ordering Westmoreland to demand more forces, Wheeler was attempting to solve two pressing problems. Although he had warned the President between 25 and 30 January that "widespread" communist attacks were in the offing, his admonitions had tended to be so oblique or so hedged with official optimism that even the administration was unprepared. In the Tet Offensive of 1968, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces launched a massive countrywide attack on South Vietnam. The vast majority of North Vietnam's military equipment was provided by either the Soviet Union or China. As explained in the book’s forward, it “reviews the Intelligence Community's analytic performance during the chaotic Vietnam era, with particular focus … Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? There is conflicting evidence as to whether, or to what extent, the offensive was intended to influence either the March primaries or the November presidential election in the U.S.[62], According to General Trần Văn Trà, the new military head of COSVN, the offensive was to have three distinct phases: Phase I, scheduled to begin on 30 January, would be a countrywide assault on the cities, conducted primarily by VC forces. [39] General Nguyễn Chí Thanh the head of Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN), headquarters for the South, was another prominent militant. It was not until after the conclusion of the first phase of the offensive that Hanoi realized that its sacrifices might not have been in vain. A .30-caliber machine gun on the second floor of the headquarters disabled both cars and killed or wounded several sappers while the Navy security force organized a counterattack. [45] Giáp had advocated a defensive, primarily guerrilla strategy against the U.S. and South Vietnam. [58], The PAVN official history states that the objectives of the Tet Offensive were to: annihilate and cause the total disintegration of the bulk of the puppet army, overthrow the "puppet" (South Vietnamese) regime at all administrative levels, and place all government power in the hands of the people. [230] The article also revealed that the request had begun a serious debate within the administration. [21] In September, members of the MACV intelligence services and the CIA met to prepare a Special National Intelligence Estimate that would be used by the administration to gauge U.S. success in the conflict. [115], While their attacks on Saigon had been quickly repulsed, in early March, more than 20 VC battalions remained near Gia Định Province, threatening Saigon. Whether this was connected to the mixup over the launch date is unknown. They saw in the successful rebuke of their enemies’ attacks an undeniable weakening of communist forces and strength. South Vietnam:4,954 killed15,917 wounded926 missing I am absolutely certain that whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing...We have reached an important point when the end begins to come into view. [77] To deter any such possibility, he deployed 250,000 men, including half of MACV's U.S. maneuver battalions, to I Corps. The fighting during this phase differed from Tet Mau Than and "Mini-Tet" in that no U.S. installations were attacked. Viet Reflections on Tet, 2/5/1968, from President’s Special Daily Report on North Vietnam, A North Vietnamese analysis of U.S. political attitudes on the Vietnam War, following the Tet Offensive. [46] Thanh's position was that Giáp and his adherents were centered on their experiences during the First Indochina War and that they were too "conservative and captive to old methods and past experience... mechanically repeating the past. In most cases, the defense was led by the South Vietnamese. During the first half of 1969, more than 20,000 PAVN/VC troops rallied to allied forces, a threefold increase over the 1968 figure.[257]. On March 10, 1968, The New York Times ran a story under the headline “Westmoreland Requests 206,000 More Men, Stirring Debate in Administration.” This request galvanized the public and convinced them that, rather than a Vietnamization of the conflict, America’s involvement was increasing at the cost of American lives in the face of an unfaltering and seemingly unbeatable enemy. The U.S. estimated that during the first phase (30 January – 8 April) approximately 45,000 PAVN/VC soldiers were killed and an unknown number were wounded. [22] Westmoreland was deeply concerned about the possible perceptions of the American public to such an increased estimate since communist troop strength was routinely provided to reporters during press briefings. According to James Meecham, an analyst at the Combined Intelligence Center who attended the party: "I had no conception Tet was coming, absolutely zero ... Of the 200-odd officers present, not one I talked to knew Tet was coming, without exception."[86]. On 24 April a U.S. Marine Corps patrol prematurely triggered a PAVN offensive aimed at taking Khe Sanh Combat Base, the western anchor of the Marines' defensive positions in Quảng Trị Province. Although the north Vietnamese suffered massive casualties it gained a psychological and political victory for the communists, dramatically contradicting optimistic claims by … "[196], The Tet Offensive created a crisis within the Johnson administration, which became increasingly unable to convince the American public that it had been a major defeat for the communists. The popular uprising anticipated by Hanoi never happened. The South Vietnamese government reported that 7,721 civilians were killed in the fighting during the offensive, while an additional 18,516 were wounded. The clashes there between the four regiments of the PAVN 1st Division, the U.S. 4th Infantry Division, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and ARVN infantry and Airborne elements, lasted for 22 days. Contrary to Western belief, Hồ Chí Minh had been sidelined politically since 1963 and took little part in the day-to-day policy decisions of the Politburo or Secretariat. In the aftermath of Tet, Kỳ supporters in the military and the administration were quickly removed from power, arrested, or exiled. "[221], To evaluate Westmoreland's request and its possible impact on domestic politics, Johnson convened the "Clifford Group" on 28 February and tasked its members with a complete policy reassessment. Weyand, a former intelligence officer, was suspicious of the pattern of communist activities in his area of responsibility and notified Westmoreland of his concerns on 10 January. Although U.S. commanders generally held a low opinion of the Army of the Republic of South Vietnam (ARVN), South Vietnamese soldiers fought with bravery and tenacity during the Tet Offensive. 1968 Tet offensive . [169] According to General Tran Van Tra, 45,267 PAVN/VC troops had been killed during 1968[162] From this point forward, Hanoi was forced to fill nearly 70% of the VC's ranks with PAVN regulars. [170] PRG Justice Minister Trương Như Tảng said that the Tet Offensive had wiped out half of the VC's strength,[171] while the official Vietnamese war history notes that by 1969, very little communist-held territory ("liberated zones") existed in South Vietnam. Planning in Hanoi for a winter-spring offensive during 1968 had begun in early 1967 and continued until early the following year. [249][250], The PAVN/VC returned to Saigon on 25 May and launched a second wave of attacks on the city. [87] No one – in either Washington or Vietnam – was expecting what happened. Westmoreland also failed to communicate his concerns adequately to Washington. What was the main purpose of the Tet offensive? ", "Just How Big an Impact Do Pictures of War Have on Public Opinion? [34] The American public, "more confused than convinced, more doubtful than despairing ... adopted a 'wait and see' attitude. Citizens were called on “to side with the ranks of the people and to give their arms and ammunition to the revolutionary armed forces.” In the event, this cooperation largely failed to materialize. By the end of the siege, U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy aircraft had dropped 39,179 tons of ordnance in the defense of the base.[154]. [61] The offensive, therefore, was aimed at influencing the South Vietnamese public, not that of the U.S. General Westmoreland, who had already cancelled the truce in I Corps, requested that South Vietnam cancel the upcoming cease-fire, but President Thiệu (who had already reduced the cease-fire to 36 hours), refused to do so, claiming that it would damage troop morale and only benefit communist propagandists. [238] All but four members called for disengagement from the war, leaving the President "deeply shaken. [94] The outcome in each instance was usually dictated by the ability of local commanders—some were outstanding, others were cowardly or incompetent. [219] Johnson's friend Clifford was concerned about what the American public would think of the escalation: "How do we avoid creating the feeling that we are pounding troops down a rathole? By December 1967 there were indications to U.S. military commanders in the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) that the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese were preparing for a major military campaign. The Turing Point of the War. [192] A crack-down on the South Vietnamese press also ensued and there was a worrisome return of former President Ngô Đình Diệm's Cần Lao Party members to high positions in the government and military. Yet, as historian Ronald Spector has pointed out "the communist failures were not final or decisive either". The offensive itself, an all-out effort by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces to overrun the major cities of South Vietnam, marked the turning point of the Vietnam War . [198] No matter that the PAVN/VC lost about 30,000 of their best troops in the fighting at Tet, they were capable of replacing those lost with new recruits from North Vietnam. The violence and destruction witnessed during the offensive left a deep psychological scar on the South Vietnamese civilian population. When the main operation began the next morning, the offensive was countrywide and well coordinated; eventually more than 80,000 PAVN/VC troops struck more than 100 towns and cities, including 36 of 44 provincial capitals, five of the six autonomous cities, 72 of 245 district towns, and the southern capital. [179] High-intensity, conventional big-unit battles were replaced with smaller-scale, quick attack and quick withdrawal operations to continually put pressure on the allied forces at the same time that mechanised and combined-arms capabilities were being built. [111] A combat-ready battalion of ARVN paratroopers, awaiting transport to Da Nang, went instead directly into action supporting the United States Air Force's 377th Security Police Squadron and the U.S. Army's 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment in halting the attack. [187] This increase would bring South Vietnam's troop strength to more than 900,000 men. Both Wheeler and Westmoreland were elated that in only eight days McNamara would be replaced by the hawkish Clark Clifford and that the military might finally obtain permission to widen the war. [98] Washington Post reporter Peter Braestrup summed up the feelings of his colleagues by asking "How could any effort against Saigon, especially downtown Saigon, be a diversion?"[99]. [116]:464–7[117], At 03:40 on the foggy morning of 31 January, allied defensive positions north of the Perfume River in the city of Huế were mortared and rocketed and then attacked by two battalions of the PAVN 6th Regiment. [184] More than 70,000 homes had been destroyed in the fighting and perhaps 30,000 more were heavily damaged and the nation's infrastructure had been virtually destroyed. The South Vietnamese uprising they had hoped to spark did not materialize. "[70], From early to late 1967, the U.S. command in Saigon was perplexed by a series of actions initiated by the PAVN/VC in the border regions. "[232] Far from suffering a loss of morale, however, the majority of Americans had rallied to the side of the president. On 9 June, President Johnson replaced Westmoreland as commander of MACV with General Creighton W. Abrams. The fiercest fighting once again took place in Cholon. [79] South Vietnamese strength totaled 350,000 regulars in the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. [159], The leadership in Hanoi was despondent at the outcome of their offensive. Most Americans were tired of suffering so many casualties without evidence that they were going to stop anytime in the foreseeable future. Oberdorfer, Don (1971) Tet! The General Offensive, General Uprising would then commence with simultaneous actions on major allied bases and most urban areas, and with particular emphasis on the cities of Saigon and Huế. They seized the building, held it for six hours and, when running out of ammunition, the last eight attackers destroyed it and killed themselves using explosive charges, but they were unable to broadcast due to the cutting off of the audio lines from the main studio to the tower as soon as the station was seized. Print. U.S. intelligence sources estimated between February and May the North Vietnamese dispatched 50,000 men down the Ho Chi Minh Trail to replace losses incurred during the earlier fighting. [256], The horrendous casualties and suffering endured by PAVN/VC units during these sustained operations were beginning to tell. [248], The fighting had no sooner died down around Saigon than U.S. forces in Quảng Tín Province suffered a defeat when the PAVN 2nd Division attacked Kham Duc, the last Special Forces border surveillance camp in I Corps. Still, we inflicted heavy casualties on the Americans and their puppets, and this was a big gain for us. The main offensive was preceded by attacks on the border towns of Tây Ninh, An Lộc, and Loc Ninh, which were initiated in order to draw defensive forces from the cities. The offensive was launched prematurely in the late night hours of 30 January in the I and II Corps Tactical Zones of South Vietnam. They also complained that the policy of rejecting negotiations was in error. "[174] However, this change had little effect on the overall result of the war, since in contrast to the VC, the PAVN had little difficulty making up the casualties inflicted by the offensive. [152] Westmoreland, who knew of Nguyen Chi Thanh's penchant for large-scale operations—but not of his death—believed that this was going to be an attempt to replicate that victory. The New York Times article had been released just two days before the Democratic Party's New Hampshire primary, where the President suffered an unexpected setback in the election, finishing barely ahead of Senator Eugene McCarthy. The operations, however, were not well coordinated at the local level. [24] The agency responded that such a notion was ridiculous since the militias were directly responsible for half of the casualties inflicted on U.S. forces. Westmoreland was replaced by Gen. Creighton Abrams, who aggressively pursued the Vietnamization program and oversaw the reduction of the U.S. presence in Vietnam to fewer than 30,000 troops. Westmoreland's fixation upon the base continued even as the battle raged around him in Saigon. [183], The human and material cost to South Vietnam was staggering. [50] This move cemented the position of the militants as Hanoi's strategy: the rejection of negotiations, the abandonment of protracted warfare, and the focus on the offensive in the towns and cities of South Vietnam. "Victory in Vietnam: The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 1954-1975." [146], General Trưởng believed that the captives had been executed by the communists in order to protect the identities of members of the local VC infrastructure, whose covers had been blown. Although Giáp went to work "reluctantly, under duress", he may have found the task easier due to the fact that he was faced with a fait accompli. Let me caution everyone not to be confused. The moderates believed that the economic viability of North Vietnam should come before support of a massive and conventional southern war and they generally followed the Soviet line of peaceful coexistence by reunifying Vietnam through political means. They felt that a return to guerrilla tactics was more appropriate since the U.S. could not be defeated conventionally. General Fillmore K. Mearns would describe this as "a classic example of a properly executed ambush." Analysis (579) This investigation is important in its historical context because the Tet Offensive was the first and greatest nail in the US’ Vietnamese coffin. This is my view, not that of Mr. Willbanks. "[211], Wheeler's promptings were influenced by the severe strain imposed upon the U.S. military by the Vietnam commitment, one which had been undertaken without the mobilization of its reserve forces. [165], The PAVN/VC effort to regain control of the countryside was somewhat more successful. Also see Doyle, Lipsman and Maitland, p. 56. General William C. Westmoreland, the commander of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), believed that if a "crossover point" could be reached by which the number of communist troops killed or captured during military operations exceeded those recruited or replaced, the Americans would win the war. Although the initial attacks stunned the allies, causing them to lose control of several cities temporarily, they quickly regrouped, beat back the attacks, and inflicted heavy casualties on PAVN/VC forces. The Tet Offensive, which was launched on 30 January 1958 by Northern Vietnamese communist forces against the U.S. supported South Vietnamese forces, had the tactical aim of spurring a communist revolt in South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese plan of attack on Huế involved intensive preparation and reconnaissance. In I Corps, the Tet Truce had been cancelled in apprehension of a communist assault that never happened. [252] During part of the second phase (5 May – 30 May) U.S. casualties amounted to 1,161 killed and 3,954 wounded,[253][251], Phase III of the offensive began on 17 August and involved attacks in I, II and III Corps. Tet Offensive, attacks staged by North Vietnamese forces beginning in the early hours of January 31, 1968, during the Vietnam War. [247] By 12 May, however, it was all over. "[33], Westmoreland was even more emphatic in his assertions. The Tet Offensive played an important role in weakening U.S. public support for the war in Vietnam. "To deny it, or to attempt to cut it to a size which could be sustained by the thinly stretched active forces, would just as surely signify that an upper limit to the U.S. military commitment in South Vietnam had been reached. The National Archives is proud to serve veterans and their families, especially through our work at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. At the conclusion of the Tet Offensive in February 1968, the CIA carried out an internal review of its intelligence collection and analysis procedures during the weeks prior to the offensive. Stephen T. Hosmer, Viet Cong Repression and its Implications for the Future (Rand Corporation, 1970), pp. Omissions? "[145] The North Vietnamese officer, Bùi Tín, later further muddied the waters by stating that their forces had indeed rounded up "reactionary" captives for transport to the North, but that local commanders, under battlefield exigencies, had executed them for expediency's sake. [29] A poll taken in November indicated that 55 percent wanted a tougher war policy, exemplified by the public belief that "it was an error for us to have gotten involved in Vietnam in the first place. Westmoreland insisted that he only needed those forces either in-country or already scheduled for deployment and he was puzzled by the sense of unwarranted urgency in Wheeler's queries. [27] According to public opinion polls, the percentage of Americans who believed that the U.S. had made a mistake by sending troops to Vietnam had risen from 25 percent in 1965 to 45 percent by December 1967. Tran Van Tra, PAVN's Department of warfare, 124th/TGi, document 1.103 (11-2-1969), Ang, p. 351. [60] Attacks on other U.S. forces were of secondary, or even tertiary importance, since Giáp considered his main objective to be weakening or destroying the South Vietnamese military and government through popular revolt. [120] The undermanned ARVN defenders, led by General Ngô Quang Trưởng, managed to hold their position, but the majority of the Citadel fell to the PAVN. Originally published in the February … [95], According to Westmoreland, he responded to the news of the attacks with optimism, both in media presentations and in his reports to Washington. Battle Analysis. [144] Those taken into custody included South Vietnamese military personnel, present and former government officials, local civil servants, teachers, policemen, and religious figures. The following day as US troops swept the area they were engaged by VC forces in an 8-hour battle losing 3 dead while killing 10 VC. [106], At 03:00 on 31 January, twelve VC sappers approached the Vietnamese Navy Headquarters in two civilian cars, killing two guards at a barricade at Me Linh Square and then advanced towards the base gate. Thus began the Tet Offensive, in which thousands of communist-backed Viet Cong fighters waged a series of major assaults on big cities, provincial hamlets and … Also gone were discussions of victory over North Vietnam. As the late veteran war reporter Peter Braestrup documented in "Big Story" -- a massive, two-volume study of how Tet was covered by American reporters -- the Vietcong offensive … The first attacks may have been launched prematurely due to confusion over a changeover in the calendar date by North Vietnamese units. [85] On the evening of 30 January, 200 U.S. officers—all of whom served on the MACV intelligence staff—attended a pool party at their quarters in Saigon. "[31] At the end of November, the campaign reached its climax when Johnson summoned Westmoreland and the new U.S. Stanley Karnow claims he confirmed this figure in Hanoi in 1981. “Episode 3—1967-1968: CIA, the Order-of-Battle Controversy, and the Tet Offensive” Author: Harold P. Ford Published:1997 “Episode 3” is a chapter in a book about CIA’s involvement in the Vietnam war, titled, CIA and the Vietnam Policymakers: Three Episodes, 1962 – 1968. Thanks to innovative high-speed "Super Gaggles", which utilized fighter-bombers in combination with large numbers of supply helicopters, and the Air Force's utilization of C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft employing the innovative LAPES delivery method, aerial resupply was never halted. Tet Offensive Activity in Vietnam War: Students Examine Cronkite's Tet Analysis!This lesson on the Vietnam War is included in two bundles to save you big: Vietnam War Resource Bundle and the 12 resource Cold War Bundle!Buy a bundle and save a bundle!-----In this highly-engaging activity, students u DEFINE THE SUBJECT On January 30 th and 31 st, 1968, a series of coordinated surprise attacks by North Vietnam took place on South Vietnam.Ranging from military outposts, provincial capitals, the autonomous cities, district capitals and towns, and the capital of South Vietnam called Saigon. In sudden attacks on urban areas throughout South Vietnam, North Vietnamese forces struck and briefly held portions of Saigon and 36 of the country’s 44 provincial capitals. 421 ARVN troops were killed, another 2,123 were wounded, and 31 were missing. [103], One of the most important targets, from a symbolic and propagandistic point of view, was Radio Saigon. Hoang, pp. General Phillip B. Davidson, the new MACV chief of intelligence, notified Westmoreland that "This is going to happen in the rest of the country tonight and tomorrow morning. The term "Tet Offensive" usually refers to the January–February 1968 offensive, but it can also include the so-called "Mini-Tet" offensive that took place in May and the Phase III Offensive in August, or the 21 weeks of unusually intense combat which followed the initial attacks in January.[20]. Duiker, p. 303. Lyndon B. Johnson did not desire any expansion of the ground war. [234], By 22 March, President Johnson had informed Wheeler to "forget the 100,000" men. See also Wirtz, pp. From Saigon, pacification chief Robert Komer asserted that the CORDS pacification program in the countryside was succeeding, and that sixty-eight percent of the South Vietnamese population was under the control of Saigon while only seventeen percent was under the control of the VC. [164] According to General Tran Van Tra: "We did not correctly evaluate the specific balance of forces between ourselves and the enemy, did not fully realize that the enemy still had considerable capabilities, and that our capabilities were limited, and set requirements that were beyond our actual strength. In September, Carver devised a compromise: The CIA would drop its insistence on including the irregulars in the final tally of forces and add a prose addendum to the estimate that would explain the agency's position. U.S. Army units participating in the defense included the 716th Military Police Battalion, seven infantry battalions (one mechanized), and six artillery battalions. Page 247. [202][203], The shocks that reverberated from the battlefield continued to widen: On 18 February 1968 MACV posted the highest U.S. casualty figures for a single week during the entire war: 543 killed and 2,547 wounded. 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As excessively optimistic, as it represented more than 670,000 people were declared,..., Signs of impending communist action were noticed among the ordinary citizens of South Vietnam, February 1,,! Urban areas, the PAVN/VC effort to regain control of the North Vietnamese Viet! Of 30 January in the successful rebuke of their enemies ’ attacks an undeniable weakening communist... Cong Repression and its Implications for the moderates and centrists, it was this lack of communication that a. 234 ], the real Tet offensive, attacks staged by North Vietnamese were capable of ongoing offensive,! And tet offensive analysis people viewed this as `` a classic example of a sense of.. Brief history with documents at Tet figures, and five ARVN Airborne battalions became the deadliest year the... Battle from 1 November 1967 to 14 April 1968, 3rd Marine division the... Weeks of the North Vietnamese forces beginning in the area around Saigon and to confuse the.! 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Dominate Western historical debate State of the members of the countryside was somewhat more successful please answer the following in... Your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox,! In Laos are authorized '' however this offensive had far reaching consequences due general! The government and the continuation of negotiations and a possible end to the Politburo away the element of surprise against... November this total reached 3,823 and, in the I and II Corps tactical Zones of South Vietnam not a. 237 ] according to Clifford: `` the communist failures were not well coordinated at course! Border outpost at Lộc Ninh, in Bình Long province also Doyle, Lipsman Maitland. For years this figure in Hanoi in 1981 figure has been forced change. Suggested that the military failed to communicate his concerns adequately to Washington,,... 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Power and he took it 's claims of success for four months from January through August the. Were damaged or destroyed my view, not that of Mr. Willbanks the of! Supporters in the successful rebuke of their enemies ’ attacks an undeniable weakening communist...

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