Question

8. Why the Tet Offensive considered the turning point in the Vietnam War?

Answer 1

The Tet Offensive is considered the turning point in the war for two reasons: first because it almost decimated south Vietnam and it changed how most Americans viewed the war. So, the Tet Offensive occurred during the Vietnamese New year called Tet. A week-long cease fire occurred so the Vietnamese could celebrate this holiday, but north Vietnam had their fingers crossed behind their back and attacked over 100 south Vietnamese cities simultaneously. This was a major loss for the American side because they couldn't recapture the cities for many months afterward. Back in the United states, Americans were seeing the horrors of war on television and this was kind of the smack in the head for many Americans to wonder why are we here? Why are we in Vietnam? President Lyndon Johnson was blamed for this and his popularity plummeted causing him to announce that he would not be running for a second term as president.