The Effects of the Tet Offensive on the Outcome of the Vietnam War By Jordan Alvarado Outline Thesis: The Tet Offensive of 1968 while a military victory for the United States, was the turning point during the Vietnam War ultimately resulting in the complete withdrawal of the United States military before its mission was complete. 1. Background a. The United States commits to fighting Communism in South East Asia b. 1965, the ground war begins c. The North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong plan a major offensive 2.
By 1968, however, over half a million US soldiers and marines were fighting in the jungles of South Vietnam and there had been thousands of US casualties. The Vietnam War turned into a major American defeat and helped change US policy in containing Communism. The United States entered the war to stop the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia. American leaders feared that Communist forces would gain control of Vietnam. After that, nation after nation might fall to Communism.
Viet Nam War "Nixon's Plan for "Peace With Honor" In 1969, Richard Nixon became the new U.S. President and he had his own plan to end U.S. involvement in Vietnam. President Nixon outlined a plan called Vietnamization, which was a process to remove U.S. troops from Vietnam while handing back the fighting to the South Vietnamese. The withdrawal of U.S. troops began in July 1969. To bring a faster end to hostilities, President Nixon also expanded the war into other countries, such as Laos and Cambodia -- a move that created thousands of protests, especially on college campuses, back in America. To work toward peace, new peace talks began in Paris on January 25, 1969.
Their classmates may not find it okay for them to get good grades while they do nothing, while the classmates study hard and long to get the grades that they do. It can also lead the professor to think that the class is too easy. They may feel the need to increase the level of difficulty. Those in the class may not think that is fair either. If a professor finds that a person is cheating, they have to report them to the main office of the college, this can lead to difficulties for a student.
At the same time they tried to create a strong non-communist South Vietnam under the leadership of Diem. By the late 1950s, the communist rebels in South Vietnam declared a revolutionary struggle against Diem, so as to reunify Vietnam under communist rule. In turn, by the 1960s the USA became more and more alarmed at this prospect, leading to further intervention in Vietnam to stop this. When Kennedy was inaugurated he inherited many crises around the globe, the most pertinent was the loss of Cuba. After the well known Bay of Pigs fiasco, he felt he was advised that he needed a foreign policy success.
The cause struck a chord with those at university more so than other groups of people due to the immense number of students that were made to go and fight. The average age of soldiers fighting the Vietnam war for America was 19, meaning almost every student knew someone that had been killed or injured due to the combat they were being forced to take part in. This lead to not only resentment for the war, but also fear that they would be called up to fight, and therefore even more resistance and protesting towards continuing the fight. The war faced huge resistance, and in a way gave the rebels a force
The images that were broadcasted all over America did not please the public and before long riots and protests were being held in the streets to end the war. This was because hundreds of American soldiers had died in a war they thought was coming to an end. The Tet Offensive proved otherwise and caused a major disagreement between the public and the American government. Many people believe that this almost forced the government to end the war because without the moral support from their own country there would be no chance in another. On the other hand, the Americans actually won the fight and in doing so managed to kill thousands of Vietcong’s, unmasked Vietcong’s, which they had not been able to do very well until this point.
In the 1960’s protest, activism and social change started to take over America. Waldo Emerson had part in the art moment and had social and political protests during the great depression. America was deeply involved with waging a neo-colonial war of imperialism. The French colonists had finally withdrawn from Vietnam after centuries that they occupied it. The Anti-Vietnam war moment in the untied states prove that there were people who cared about peace not war, with protesting, sit ins, and the communication to boycott drafting of soldiers so they wouldn’t go to war.
The U.S provided military advisors and support and the first U.S troops entered Vietnam in March 1965. They sent in 2,000 military advisors, a number that grew to 16,300 in 1963. The military condition started to deteriorate and by 1963 South Vietnam had lost the fertile Mekong Delta to the Viet Cong. Convinced that the communists where escalating the War, Johnson began the bombing campaign against North Vietnam. Air strikes commenced and he sent the first U.S ground combat troops to
These cultural protests collaborated with political demonstrations. Altered renditions of the National Anthem were played as well as the American flag being destroyed at rallies. President Nixon soon put into place the policy of Vietnamisation. This policy allowed US soldiers to be swiftly removed from combat while bombing carried on and peace negotiations were taking place. This triggered a decrease in campus protest.