ipl-logo

Tet Offensive Essay

3071 Words13 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on americas involvement in vietnam

In 1954, a war would start in Vietnam. The two sides of the conflict would be north and south Vietnam, separated by an invisible line called the “17th Parallel”. The line would be established through the Geneva Conference in July of 1954, in which it gave the division of Vietnam by north and south at the 17th Parallel. Northern Vietnam was led by communist political leader Ho Chi Min. While southern Vietnam was led by dictatorial leader Ngo Dinh Diem. Although the war was fought in order to have full control of Vietnam, it was more than who maintained control. It was also a war that was etched into the Cold War between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. The United States got involved in order to help prevent the spread of Communism, …show more content…

On January 30th , 1965, Viet Cong forces coordinated a series of attacks on more than 100 cities and outposts in southern Vietnam. The point of the Tet Offensive was not just to gain territories in southern Vietnam, but to also push back US involvement in the war. The Tet Offensive was chosen on a very particular day, Lunar New Year. In the past, during wartime, Lunar New Year was recognized as a truce, so each side could celebrate with no fear of attack. North Viet Cong general Vo Nguyen Giap chose the 31st of January as a surprise attack of southern Vietnamese forces and US forces. The Viet Cong thought of these surprise attacks as necessary for the collapse of the Army Republic of Vietnam, or ARVN, which is another name for southern Vietnamese army/troops. AS well as an increase in discontent of southern army supporters in hopes more rebellions would spur. One major conflict of the Tet Offensive is the Battle of Hue. This battle took place in the city of Hue, which was 50 miles south of the border. The People’s Army of Vietnam, also known as PAVN, is a group of troops that are not part of the official army, ARVN. The PAVN consisted of people from southern Vietnam and people who opposed the northern rule/ideals. The PAVN had control of Hue when the Viet Cong forces attacked the city. They took the city with ease, and conducted house to house searches, taking counter revolutionaries that opposed the north. The people they gathered were executed and part of a mass grave. When the US and ARVN forces entered Hue, they saw the first account of what was committed by the Viet Cong forces. The US and ARVN forces took the city of Hue in a bloody battle of taking the ‘capital’ city of Hue, which was a citadel. Around 150 U.S Marineswere killed to the 400 Viet Cong forces on that day. In total, the Battle of Hue was a very decisive battle in the Tet Offensive

Show More
Related
282 Words | 2 Pages

During the Vietnam War, the Unitied States ' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruited General Vang Pao and trained about 35,000 Hmong soldiers to fight communist forces in the mountains of Laos in what is known as the "Secret War." Vang Pao 's involvement in the war divided many Hmong people, but he believed that it would lead to a better life for his people. Under Vang Pao 's leadership, Hmong soldiers stopped the North Vietnamese from bringing supplies into Laos through the Ho Chi Minh Trail, helped identify targets for American bombs, and saved the lives of many American pilots, When the Americans pulled out of the war in 1975, they abandoned General Vang Pao and all of the Hmong people who were now enemies to the communist Pathet Lao.

Read More
258 Words | 2 Pages

In Blah, Blah, Blah, the author Kim Kessler discusses the various uses for the phrase “blah, blah, blah”. She mentions how often she has encountered this phrase recently and how frequently people her age use it to complete a thought. The author believes the employment of this phrase can be explained through a few reasons. These reasons include a lack of interesting material in conversations and a way to get to the interesting part of the story quickly. In addition, it is a method invoked by the person speaking to save both energy and time, as well as to show that the person telling the story and the person listening share an understanding.

Read More
600 Words | 3 Pages

Historty.com said the communist thought that they had won the battle. Even though 10,000 to 15,000 Vietnamese died in the battle. Also the marines had to patrol the Ho Chi Minh trail. They also had to patrol 100 to 200 yards off of the perimeter. The enemy fired 1,500 rockets, artillery, and mortar rounds at the marines.

Read More
848 Words | 4 Pages

Him and millions of people marched into the capital city of Hanoi, he issued the Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence. “From the American Declaration of Independence he borrow the famous statements, All men are created equal and they endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”(Zinn 469) Ho Chi Minh and his people were fighting for their freedom against French like the our founding fathers they fought against the British in 1776 for their freedom. The reason Vietnamese wanted to end the French occupation was because they imposed inhuman laws on the vietnamese. For instance, “the French government built more prisons than schools, they have slain their patriots, they have robbed their natural resources, they have enforced unnecessary taxes, people are living in a state of poverty, and two million Vietnamese people suffered from malnutrition and they were starved to death.”(Zinn

Read More
1900 Words | 8 Pages

this is when Japan decided to bomb a naval base in Hawaii which killed a lot of U.S. soldiers and destroyed a lot of our ships. During this invasion the United States and its allies used a lot of different type of tanks which were all very important during this attack. Here are the names and what they did. The main tanks that they used.

Read More
937 Words | 4 Pages

In A Viet Cong Memoir, we receive excellent first hands accounts of events that unfolded in Vietnam during the Vietnam War from the author of this autobiography: Truong Nhu Tang. Truong was Vietnamese at heart, growing up in Saigon, but he studied in Paris for a time where he met and learned from the future leader Ho Chi Minh. Truong was able to learn from Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary ideas and gain a great political perspective of the conflicts arising in Vietnam during the war. His autobiography shows the readers the perspective of the average Vietnamese citizen (especially those involved with the NLF) and the attitudes towards war with the United States. In the book, Truong exclaims that although many people may say the Americans never lost on the battlefield in Vietnam — it is irrelevant.

Read More
1913 Words | 8 Pages

The battle for the city of Hue, Vietnam began January 31 and officially ended the night of February 27, 1968. Having lasted 26 days, it was the longest and bloodiest battle of the Tet Offensive. 216 American’s were killed during the event. Although an antiwar movement had begun in America, it was after this event that the movement took on renewed vigor. The battle for the city of Hue had been a tactical victory but a strategic failure.

Read More
436 Words | 2 Pages

“Americans didn’t want to be believe that these things occurred in the name of the American people and for the sake of freedom”, so it was something that was swept under the rug until journalist got a hold of it. I understand now why the Vietnam War caused many to be diagnosed with PTSD and why it was very unpopular war. I am still interested in knowing the South Vietnamese side of the story, as well as the North

Read More
134 Words | 1 Pages

We begin with the 40th celebration of North Vietnam’s victory, commemorating the date April 30th as the day in which Vietnam gained liberation from invading American troops. However on this day instead of national celebration there is easily a great rift between North and South Vietnam citizens being witnessed throughout. While the North celebrate April 30th, as a day of liberation those in the South believe the day to hold feelings of helplessness and defeat. To those whom were born or living before the fall of Saigon; the capital city of South Vietnam, it is believed to be the date in which a civil war ensured. Below begins the analyzation of three primary/ secondary sources comparing and contrasting the different views held over the decades

Read More
812 Words | 4 Pages

In 1968, the Vietnam troops issued The Tet Offensive, which was uprisings in South Vietnam that surprised the American Military. The war became brutal, with mistreatment of American prisoners by the Vietnamese. American planes dropped chemicals and more bombs than ever seen in history. The intensity and brutality of the fighting of war were now broadcasted on television, which shattered confidence in Johnson's Administration’s capabilities to be victorious in the war.

Read More
1401 Words | 6 Pages

Vietnam War and the Battle of Suoi Tre SGT Hall, James SGT Mercado Velez, Jorge H. SGT Santiago, Richard SGT Volavola, Timoci 13B30 ALC Class 006-17 Vietnam War and the Battle of Suoi Tre Throughout the history of the United States the U.S has partaken in many wars, some more brutal than others. But a war that will always stand out more than others is the Vietnam War. “The Vietnam War is one of the most important proceedings events in the history of the United States. Known as “the only war Americans ever lost” (CNN 2017).

Read More
439 Words | 2 Pages

The Battle of Hue City, which occurred during the Vietnam War in 1968, was a significant and impactful event in the history of the conflict. The city of Hue was not only a key strategic location, but it also held immense cultural and spiritual significance for both sides. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Viet Cong (VC) considered capturing Hue a major victory in their fight against the United States and the South Vietnamese government, while the United States viewed it as a critical test of their tactics in the war. The battle began on January 31st, 1968 when the NVA and VC launched a surprise attack on Hue, quickly overwhelming the South Vietnamese defenders and taking control of the city.

Read More
1091 Words | 5 Pages

Even when Americans were victorious they had to be careful. In the victory people are tempted to rip down flags and steal the remaining useful supplies, but the Vietnamese wouldn’t let them get valuables that easily. They added explosives to flag poles, and supplies, even ballpoint pens could be rigged. The soldiers always had to be focused and ready for any kind of situations. These traps could be anywhere so the people first in line, or leading the group, always had to be extremely observant and gained a huge symptom of paranoia.

Read More
1101 Words | 5 Pages

The Vietnam war took a major death toll in Vietnam, United States, South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand, and Australia. Just in the U.S., “more than 58,000 American soldiers were killed while more than 150,000 others wounded”. On both sides, there were almost 2 million civilians dead and 1.1 simply on the Vietnamese side. The My Lai Massacre, where soldiers brutally killed Vietnamese children and mothers, presents an example where the war mentally changed the soldiers in the war in a very horrendous way. On the other hand, the United States took brutal losses in the Tet Offensive, where the Vietcong slaughtered over 100 towns and twelve United States air bases.

Read More
765 Words | 4 Pages

The Vietnam War was a war the United States should have never been involved in. The “Domino Theory” was a direct cause of the war. The war resulted in much death; innocent civilians and young Americans were killed. The Vietnam war also resulted in rioting, distrust for the United States government, and the loss of many lives. 58,000 Americans were killed and 300,000 were wounded.

Read More

More about Tet Offensive Essay

Related Topics

Open Document