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It wasn't a "psychological victory for the VC" because they were virtually annihilated during that offensive. It was a "psychological victory" for the NVA since they're the ones that orchestrated that campaign. Why was it considered a psychological victory? Because the offensive itself was spread nearly RVN (Republic of South Vietnam) nation wide and witnessed on global televison & appeared to be a success, at least US General Westmoreland was put to task trying to explain how & why the communist forces were able to conduct such a campaign when he had previously reported to the public that "the US was winning the war." Since pictures were worth a thousand words, the news footage appeared not to show it that way.

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12y ago
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9y ago

The "Tet Offensive" undertaken by the Viet Cong was an utter disaster militarily. They were generally routed and destroyed. In the city of Hue, VC fighters became surrounded, and the Vietnamese Army and American troops were trying not to destroy the temples in which the VC had taken refuge.

Some American reporters including Walter Cronkite, with no understanding of what was going on, misinterpreted the events as being a great victory for the Viet Cong, and reported it as such. So the military defeat was spun, by the American media, as a psychological victory.

And the press wonders why the military doesn't trust them.

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Q: Why was the tet offensive considered a psychological victory for the viet cong?
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Continue Learning about General History

What was the provincial capital seized by the viet cong in the 1968 tet offensive?

Hue City .


Massive attack by the Viet Cong in 1968?

That was called the Tet Offensive as it was launched during the Vietnames holy day of Tet.


Do the viet cong still exist?

No. They existed for a reason; combating the US/allies. With the (communist) victory in 1975...their reason for existence no longer existed.


Was the tet offensive a victory on the viet cong?

Good way to look at it. Everything they took during their offensive, the allies re-captured. Over-all (strategic) they came out on top though... Unlike previous wars, Vietnam was heavily televised; WORLD WIDE. So the Reds won their propaganda offensive (a strategic victory). However, they did lose their VC allies, they became nearly a token force after the Tet Offensive. The NVA carried on with the war from '68 onward...the VC still existed, but that was all.


True or false the tet offensive was a devastating defeat of the north vietnamese forces?

This is false. The Tet offensive resulted in temporary gains for the Viet Cong but ended up with the destruction of the Viet Cong as a fighting force. The real winners were the North Vietnamese, who planned the attacks and carried out some of the more successful operations including the daring takeover of the US Embassy building. After the Tet offensive, the Viet Cong remained active but never fielded large, well led and well equipped forces again. The North Vietnamese took over direct leadership of the fighting forces in the south and 7 years later marched into Saigon.

Related questions

What is synonymous to Viet Cong?

Vietnam could be considered as being synonymous to Viet Cong.


What was the massive viet cong attack on over100 places in the south?

The "Tet" offensive.


Who proclaimed the Tet Offensive in January 1968 a major defeat for the Viet Cong?

westmoreland


What was the provincial capital seized by the viet cong in the 1968 tet offensive?

Hue City .


What is a Tet Offinsive?

The Tet Offensive was a military action taken by the Viet Cong against the United States military in the Vietnam War. It began on the Tet, or the Vietnamese new year. Viet Cong soldiers stormed a very large number of US strongholds, outposts, and guarded locations. Within a week, all of this areas had been retaken by the United States military. The success of the Tet Offensive has been questioned by many historians and military strategists. The Tet offensive was a very important turn of events in the Vietnam war. Although it was considered a military loss for the Viet Cong, it was definitely a political victory. The Viet Cong lost nearly half of their soldiers. This completely crippled their ability to take on the United Sates militarily. However, military force has never been the only weapon in war. This attack convinced the American people that the US was losing. Americans weren't and still aren't used to thinking our military can be defeated. The Tet offensive startled many Americans because it displayed how unprepared we were. Even if the entire Viet Cong army was destroyed, they still would have triumphed from the Tet offensive, because the political impact far outweighed the military impact.


What was the major Viet Cong attack on South Vietnam and American bases?

The TET Offensive of 1968


What was the significances of the tet offensive?

It showed American forces in Vietnam that the Viet Cong were a formidable enemy.


Massive attack by the Viet Cong in 1968?

That was called the Tet Offensive as it was launched during the Vietnames holy day of Tet.


Do the viet cong still exist?

No. They existed for a reason; combating the US/allies. With the (communist) victory in 1975...their reason for existence no longer existed.


Was the tet offensive a victory on the viet cong?

Good way to look at it. Everything they took during their offensive, the allies re-captured. Over-all (strategic) they came out on top though... Unlike previous wars, Vietnam was heavily televised; WORLD WIDE. So the Reds won their propaganda offensive (a strategic victory). However, they did lose their VC allies, they became nearly a token force after the Tet Offensive. The NVA carried on with the war from '68 onward...the VC still existed, but that was all.


The provincial capital seized by the viet cong in the 1968 tet offensive was what city?

Thành Phố Huế (Vietnamese) Hue city


Why was the Tet offensive considered a turning point in Vietnam war?

In 1968 the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong launched their Tet Offensive. (Tet was the Vietnamese New Year) About 70,000 communist troops attacked about 30 South Vietnamese cities and towns. The Americans eventually were able to drive the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops out of those areas and the Offensive was over and a defeat for the North. But, it was a shock to the American public. They had not been led to believe that such an attack was capable on the part of the North or Viet Cong. The number of Americans killed and wounded continued to climb and were reported every evening on the TV news. The cost of the war had risen to about $70 million PER DAY. Yet victory for the US seemed as far away as ever. Public approval of President Johnson's handling of the war dropped from 40 percent to 26 percent. The President appeared visibly shaken. Close aides were so concerned about the President that they consulted psychiatrists.