Effects of the Tet Offensive Essay -- Vietnam War Essays

For nine years, the United States were hell-bent in achieving their rightful victory in Vietnam, however, destiny had different plans for them. The Tet Offensive is considered the turning point of the Vietnam Conflict because of the fact that the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army surprised the U.S and South Vietnam with several sporadic attacks. Consequently, many effects from these attacks were expected, not only for America, but for North and South Vietnam as well. With U.S citizens’ opinions quickly turning against U.S. involvement in Vietnam, South Vietnam faced much disaster. Its government was stricken with humility because of the increased abandonment of their army, leading to the inability to protect its citizens. On the other hand, North Vietnam began accepting great amounts of land along with the power to frighten the rural population. Soon after the Tet Offensive, citizens of the United States began having second opinions about concentrating our troops in Vietnam: â€Å"Within weeks [of the Tet attacks], many average Americans who previously were supporters had turned against the war† (Omicinski 2). A small cluster of Vietcong forces made their way into the compound of the United States embassy located in Saigon, proving to Americans that even though there were hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting in Vietnam, the U.S. had progressed only slightly (Dudley 131). The people were constantly being told that the conflict would soon end, however, increased need of military assistance had U.S. citizens questioning the veracity of our government. The phrase "credibility gap" surfaced to describe the growing public scepticism (Gerdes 14). This factor led to the government’s loss of support from most of the population. Ano... ...t.edu/central/brush/LocalForces.htm>. Dennison, John D. Tet Offensive of 1968 - A Simpler Version. 24 Aug 2004. 1st Cav Medic Radio Station. 3 May 2007 . Dudley, William. The Vietnam War: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc, 1998. Gerdes, Louise. Examining Political Issues Through Political Cartoons: The Vietnam War. Greenhaven Press, 2005. Omicinski, John. â€Å"Tet Offensive 30 years ago: A turning point of Last Half-Century.† USA Today. Jan. 31, 1998. SIRS Researcher. Waubonsie Valley H. S. Lib., Aurora, IL. 3 May 2007 . Vietnamization: Lasting Effects On South Vietnam. 1999. StudyWorld. 11 May 2007 . Effects of the Tet Offensive Essay -- Vietnam War Essays For nine years, the United States were hell-bent in achieving their rightful victory in Vietnam, however, destiny had different plans for them. The Tet Offensive is considered the turning point of the Vietnam Conflict because of the fact that the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army surprised the U.S and South Vietnam with several sporadic attacks. Consequently, many effects from these attacks were expected, not only for America, but for North and South Vietnam as well. With U.S citizens’ opinions quickly turning against U.S. involvement in Vietnam, South Vietnam faced much disaster. Its government was stricken with humility because of the increased abandonment of their army, leading to the inability to protect its citizens. On the other hand, North Vietnam began accepting great amounts of land along with the power to frighten the rural population. Soon after the Tet Offensive, citizens of the United States began having second opinions about concentrating our troops in Vietnam: â€Å"Within weeks [of the Tet attacks], many average Americans who previously were supporters had turned against the war† (Omicinski 2). A small cluster of Vietcong forces made their way into the compound of the United States embassy located in Saigon, proving to Americans that even though there were hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting in Vietnam, the U.S. had progressed only slightly (Dudley 131). The people were constantly being told that the conflict would soon end, however, increased need of military assistance had U.S. citizens questioning the veracity of our government. The phrase "credibility gap" surfaced to describe the growing public scepticism (Gerdes 14). This factor led to the government’s loss of support from most of the population. Ano... ...t.edu/central/brush/LocalForces.htm>. Dennison, John D. Tet Offensive of 1968 - A Simpler Version. 24 Aug 2004. 1st Cav Medic Radio Station. 3 May 2007 . Dudley, William. The Vietnam War: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc, 1998. Gerdes, Louise. Examining Political Issues Through Political Cartoons: The Vietnam War. Greenhaven Press, 2005. Omicinski, John. â€Å"Tet Offensive 30 years ago: A turning point of Last Half-Century.† USA Today. Jan. 31, 1998. SIRS Researcher. Waubonsie Valley H. S. Lib., Aurora, IL. 3 May 2007 . Vietnamization: Lasting Effects On South Vietnam. 1999. StudyWorld. 11 May 2007 .