The US press (TV & Newspapers & Magazines...Time, Life, etc.) had been made aware of the fact that the communists had lost more men than the US/Allies had lost, and that they could not keep up the fight much longer. In addition, communist territorial losses had been greatly accelerated; resulting in a much lower enemy force(s) capability of engaging US/Allied forces for any foreseeable future.
Then came the TET offensive, on nation wide (world wide TV)!
For the citizens of the US, everything fed to them by the US government had been incorrect. How could a defeated foe, do this? Faith in the US Government, the war, and the military, went down from there.
Americans began to wonder if they could win the war
The Tet offensive was a major offensive launched by the NVA and the VC. It was a series of simultaneous attacks across South Vietnam during the Lunar New Year of Tet. The U.S. had signed a peace agreement for Tet and the North Vietnamese violated this agreement catching the U.S. off guard. Although the Tet Offensive failed on the North's part, it showed that they were very capable of composing strong attacks against their enemies.
On January 30, 1968, the North Vietnamese army and Viet Cong units attacked provincial headquarters, political and military targets throughout South Vietnam. The campaign was swiftly stopped everywhere except the old imperial capital of Hue (pronounced way). In this university town and birthplace of North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, fighting in the streets lasted three weeks.
Military leaders in both North and South Vietnam, as well as U.S. and allied leaders, viewed the coordinated effort as a failure, with the North Vietnamese Army seriously depleted of personnel and resources.
However, highly respected CBS newsman Walter Cronkite went to Vietnam, and late in February, 1968 reported from the streets of Hue telling America that the war in Vietnam was non 'win-able.' This assessment gave significant energy to the anti-war movement in the U.S., and put additional pressure on the U.S. Congress to withdrawal from Vietnam. In the wake of this shift, President Lyndon Johnson announced that he would not seek reelection to a second term. Demoralized in the arena of public opinion, the "Vietnam War" end began.
North Vietnamese leaders had hoped that a massive campaign in the south would turn the South Vietnamese people to rebel against their government and seek to reunify with the North. However, that uprising never materialized in South Vietnam, and the "TET Offensive" campaign was a military and political failure on the ground - but a success in U.S. public opinion against the war.
Because we lost!
William Westmoreland
Yes
The Tet Offensive meant widening the gap of comfort. American media over played this so much that it left the Americans with a false sense of comfort.
The government decided to negotiate an end to the war
TET Offinsive, Battle for HUE (old imperial capital), Khe San, Battle of the Adrang Valley (spelling?)
Because we lost!
William Westmoreland
William Westmoreland
Yes
no spongebob is great for all children
Tet
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.
The Tet Offensive meant widening the gap of comfort. American media over played this so much that it left the Americans with a false sense of comfort.
The main impact of Tet was to harden US civilians' resolve against the war. This is because Tet, on the ground, was an absolute disaster for the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese. We had been led to believe the Vietnamese couldn't launch an offensive like this, and when it happened it shocked the Americans.
The government decided to negotiate an end to the war
Usually, if they have offinsive content posted on the Internet.