Tet! The Turning Point of the Vietnam War Dr Donna Jackson Dept of History & Archaeology

The Wounded Generation: America After Vietnam (A D Horne) Vietnam…. It divided our families and generations, roiled our campuses, ended careers, broke long friendships, sent marchers into our streets and brought down a president.”

NV Motivations for Tet Concern over losses Belief that South Vietnamese would support revolution Negotiate from strength Election year in US

The Strategy 1.A series of diversionary attacks in remote areas. 2.Co-ordinated VC assaults on major towns/cities 3.Agreement to negotiations – but on VC terms

Phase 1 Attacks at Con Thien, Loc Ninh, Song Be Khe Sanh Preparations for further attacks Agreement to negotiate

January 30, 1968 VC struck 36 of 44 provincial capitals, 5 of 6 major cities; 50 hamlets Saigon: occupied grounds of US Embassy; attacked Tan Son Nhut Airport, presidential palace, HQ of South Vietnam's general staff. Hue: 7,500 VC/DRV troops took Citadel (seat of the Emperors of the Kingdom of Annam)

Military Results North Vietnam –A military defeat –A political and psychological victory South Vietnam –A costly victory

Impact on the Media Walter Cronkite, “What the hell is going on? I thought we were winning the war!” David Douglas Duncan, Hue: “The mind reels at the carnage, cost and ruthlessness of it all.” Of the liberation of Ben Tre: “we had to destroy the city to save it.”

Impact on Public Opinion Approval of Johnson's conduct of war dropped: –1967: 40% –During Tet: 26% Protest movement energised

Avoiding the Draft James Fallows, “What Did You Do in the Class War, Daddy”, Washingon Monthly, 1975 Starved himself to 8 stone 8 lbs Claimed to have been suicidal “I was overcome with a wave of relief” “We now knew who would be killed”

Group Acts of Protest October 21, 1967: Washington, c.100,000 October 15, 1969: Vietnam moratorium, over 2 million November 15, 1969: Student Mobilisation: –San Francisco, 150,000 –Washington, up to 500,000

Protests from Veterans Vietnam Veterans Against the War Mutiny and insubordination ‘Fragging’

Impact on Politics Increasing Congressional oversight Johnson challenged for Democratic nomination

The Impact on the President March 31: LBJ televised address: Limits on bombing Calls for peace talks Averell Harriman named as LBJ’s rep at talks Refuses re-election

Peace with Honour?: The Nixon Years Combat deaths –US: 27,000 –South Vietnam: 107,000 –North Vietnam: at least 500,000 Unknown civilian deaths Devastating bombing raids Inflation/unrest in US Poisoned political atmosphere US international credibity damaged

The New York Times, May, 1973 "We lost the war in the Mississippi valley, not the Mekong valley. Successive American governments were never able to muster\the necessary mass support at home.”