The Tet Offensive in 1968 significantly damaged American morale by contradicting the optimistic narratives presented by U.S. officials regarding the progress of the Vietnam War. The scale and intensity of the coordinated attacks by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces shocked the American public, revealing that the enemy was far more capable than previously thought. This stark reality undermined trust in the government and fueled anti-war sentiments, leading to increased protests and a growing desire to withdraw from Vietnam. Ultimately, the offensive marked a turning point in public perception, shifting from support for the war to widespread disillusionment.
The Tet Offensive brought home the fact that this was going to be a long and bloody conflict and that they could expect to see body bags being shipped home for years to come.
World War II
The Doolittle Raid upon Tokyo , Japan .
Many US Civil War historians trace the Southern conviction that offensive operations were preferred to tactical defense to the Mexican American War. In that war, US offensive actions proved to be effective against Mexican armies. Confederate generals ignored the success of tactical defenses in the Mexican War and thus placed great faith in offensive assaults in the US Civil War.
Westmoreland
The Tet Offensive brought home the fact that this was going to be a long and bloody conflict and that they could expect to see body bags being shipped home for years to come.
The American Expeditionary Force
Well, honey, the Tet Offensive was a mixed bag of nuts. It was a military victory for the North Vietnamese, but it was a huge blow to American morale and public support for the war. So, you could say it was positive for one side and negative for the other. It's like trying to decide if a hot fudge sundae is good or bad for your diet - depends on which side of the scale you're standing on.
World War II
it improved american morale and convinced french to join the american cause.
The Tet offensive was military a massive failure by the Vietcong in which they achieved no strategic success and lost a large number of fighters. However, it was terrible for the american army morale, who had been frequently told that they were winning and the North Vietnamese were on the brink of collapse, which was clearly not the case based on the size and penetration of the Tet Offensive showed this was untrue, and it also showed that many South Vietnamese were supporting the Vietcong and not the Americans, which again damaged morale. The same sort of thing happened to the US public, which made the Vietnam War slowly become a huge public discussion, and a political liability to the government which supported the war that the American public collectively believed could not be won. For a military historian the Tet Offensive was an American victory, for the wider historian it was the beginning of the end of America's admitting defeat in Vietnam.
The Tet offensive was military a massive failure by the Vietcong in which they achieved no strategic success and lost a large number of fighters. However, it was terrible for the american army morale, who had been frequently told that they were winning and the North Vietnamese were on the brink of collapse, which was clearly not the case based on the size and penetration of the Tet Offensive showed this was untrue, and it also showed that many South Vietnamese were supporting the Vietcong and not the Americans, which again damaged morale. The same sort of thing happened to the US public, which made the Vietnam War slowly become a huge public discussion, and a political liability to the government which supported the war that the American public collectively believed could not be won. For a military historian the Tet Offensive was an American victory, for the wider historian it was the beginning of the end of America's admitting defeat in Vietnam.
The Doolittle Raid upon Tokyo , Japan .
The Tet offensive was military a massive failure by the Vietcong in which they achieved no strategic success and lost a large number of fighters. However, it was terrible for the american army morale, who had been frequently told that they were winning and the North Vietnamese were on the brink of collapse, which was clearly not the case based on the size and penetration of the Tet Offensive showed this was untrue, and it also showed that many South Vietnamese were supporting the Vietcong and not the Americans, which again damaged morale. The same sort of thing happened to the US public, which made the Vietnam War slowly become a huge public discussion, and a political liability to the government which supported the war that the American public collectively believed could not be won. For a military historian the Tet Offensive was an American victory, for the wider historian it was the beginning of the end of America's admitting defeat in Vietnam.
Many US Civil War historians trace the Southern conviction that offensive operations were preferred to tactical defense to the Mexican American War. In that war, US offensive actions proved to be effective against Mexican armies. Confederate generals ignored the success of tactical defenses in the Mexican War and thus placed great faith in offensive assaults in the US Civil War.
American Order of Battle Meuse-Argonne Offensive happened in 1918.
American Military Heritage