Tet Offensive Essay

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,

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