Tet Offensive (1968)
The Tet Offensive was a series of attacks launched by the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong on cities, towns, and hamlets throughout South Vietnam. At the time, the president of North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh was aging very quickly and nearing death. Therefore, North Vietnam found it necessary that they defeat the South Vietnamese before his death. In late 1967, the U.S, Army and the Army of the Republic of South Vietnam were settling down in the major cities of South Vietnam. However, they were soon being drawn out of these cities as the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army began launching attacks throughout South Vietnam. The Tet Offensive officially began on January 31, 1968 which was first day of the Tet also known as Lunar New Year. The Viet Cong had attacked several of South Vietnam’s cities, most of them which were provincial and district capitals. In addition to those cities, they attacked about 50 hamlets. While in Saigon, they attacked the presidential palace, the airport, the headquarters of the Republic of South Vietnam Army, and made their way to invading and attacking the U.S. Embassy Suite. By February 24, the city of Saigon had been completely taken over. During their numerous invasions in cities, they successfully captured Citadel at Hue. While capturing Hue, they launched what was known as the Massacre at Hue in which they executed thousands of civilians and forced 100,000 civilians to lose their homes. Although the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army were able seize control of several cities including Saigon and a majority of the U.S. Embassy Suite, they didn’t win militarily and didn’t achieve any of their primary goals. Originally, in the process of taking over South Vietnam and destroying the South Vietnamese Army and U.S. Army, they were hoping that the Republic of South Vietnam Army would fall apart in confusion and panic and that it would cause for the citizens to go against South Vietnam’s government. However, according to public media, the Tet Offensive was a win for the communists of North Vietnam. In a way, the Tet Offensive was significant because it forced the United States to begin withdrawing its troops from Vietnam.
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