The Tet Offensive was a military campaign and also the turning point of the Vietnam War. South Vietnam was attacked by Communist forces, namely the National Liberation Front (NLF) and the North Vietnamese Peoples's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), as they wished to start an unprising. Even though the United States forces and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) were able to recapture the cities, the Tet Offensive showed to the American public that the war may go on indefinitely.

The Tet Offensive was launched on January 30, 1968, or Tet's Eve. Both side of Vietnam had observed a truce on the Tet holiday. The Tet is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year and has been a traditional celebration that brings happiness, hope, and peace. Therefore, the United States troops and the South Vietnamese forces were unprepared for any attacks as most ARVN had gone home to celebrate.

Within a few hours, many cities of central Vietnam was under the control of Communist forces. Around 85,000 guerrilla fighters had ambushed the five largest cities of South Vietnam. They had also taken over the U.S. Embassy in Saigon (now named Ho Chi Minh City) for around eight hours. News reporters filmed the action, and as these horrifying images of dead bodies were displayed across the country, the American public began to disapprove of the actions that the U.S. military were taking in Vietnam.

The attack lasted through February until the United States and South Vietnam retook the cities. One of the bloodiest battle in the entire war was when the United States and the ARVN tried to retake Hue. The Communists had the intentions to kill any enemy collaborators, which included civilians. From 400 to 5800 South Vietnamese government agents were killed by the NLF and approximately 2000 civilians were killed in the battle. Death counts totaled 5000 North Vietnamese fighters, and 500 U.S. troops and ARVN forces combined. The city was left in ruins, including the infamous Imperial Palace, as 100,000 civilians were left homeless.

The Tet Offensive damaged the support that the U.S. public had for the military. The Vietcong had lost around 45,000 soldiers and did not start the uprising that they wished for, however, this was the turning point of the war.

The US political leaders had often stated optimistic statements that the Communist forces were weakening and that the Vietnam War was concluding. The Tet Offensive just made the American public realize that these statements were all lies and that the war was far from over. The total casualty count of American soldiers during 1968 reached around 14,000, which was the highest number for any year of war. And when General Westmoreland stated that his strategy of attrition, which was to destroy as many enemies as they could, was working, but requested for 206,000 additional American soldiers, the credibility the US leaders in the eyes of the American public were greatly diminished.

The Tet Offensive brought the violence of the war to the television set across the nation. The citizens watched closely as they saw ARVN soldiers kill prisoners mercilessly and the anguish in the faces of US troops.

The unpopularity of the war in the United States forced President Lyndon Johnson to agree that the United States must begin to disengage.

Photos Courtesy of Archive Photos