What was the Tet Offensive?
The Tet Offensive was the largest military operation of the Vietnam War to that point, and would emerge as a key turning point in the conflict. The Tet Offensive was a surprise series of attacks launched during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year festival.
What did Walter Cronkite say about the Tet Offensive?
In the wake of the Tet Offensive, popular U.S. journalist Walter Cronkite said, “We are mired in a stalemate [and] the only rational way out, then, will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy and did the best they could.” to associate or connect to something else. violent attack.
How many North Vietnamese died in the Tet Offensive?
On the North Vietnamese side, an estimated 5,000 soldiers were killed, most of them hit by American air and artillery strikes. Despite its heavy casualty toll, and its failure to inspire widespread rebellion among the South Vietnamese, the Tet Offensive proved to be a strategic success for the North Vietnamese.
Was Tet 1968 on the right side of history?
Once people recognised that communist armies in the so-called General Offensive – General Uprising of Tet 1968 (Tổng công kích – tổng khởi nghĩa Tết Mậu Thân 1968) were on ‘the right side of history’, they would rally to support them.
Why is Tet the most important holiday in Vietnam?
As the celebration of the lunar new year, Tet is the most important holiday on the Vietnamese calendar. In previous years, the holiday had been the occasion for an informal truce in the Vietnam War between South Vietnam and North Vietnam (and their communist allies in South Vietnam, the Viet Cong).
What was the New Year Offensive in Vietnam?
The attacks were carried out against five major South Vietnamese cities, dozens of military installations, and scores of towns and villages throughout South Vietnam. The offensive derives its name from the Vietnamese New Year holiday, during which the attacks occurred.