The Tet Offensive: Turning Point Of The Vietnam War

The Tet Offensive and Nixon’s visit to China were two influential events in the 20th century. The Tet Offensive was the turning point of the Vietnam War. Although a victory for America it resulted in public approval of the war to decline, causing the gradual withdrawal of American troops involved in Vietnam. The withdrawal of troops from Vietnam may have resulted with the victory of North Vietnam. Nixon’s visit to China resulted in China no longer being a closed nation and for the U.S to have a civil bilateral relationship with China. Nixon’s visit to China allowed for China to eventually be recognized as a legitimate government and for open trade relations between the United States and China. The Tet Offensive was a series of coordinated …show more content…
Before the Tet Offensive the US and South Vietnam were winning the war; The Tet Offensive resulted in South Vietnam and United States victory. Although, the Tet Offensive proved to be a turning point, “Tet and Khe Sanh left Americans with major questions. Could this enemy be defeated? If so, for what purpose? Why fight for a place for eleven weeks when the place has no real importance? How there could be an end to the war where the soldiers could disappear into any village at night?” (Hauptly 129-130) At this point far too many American lives were lost, especially in Hue City. The US government was facing more criticism of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. No amount of government persuasion could calm the public, “It led to President Johnson’s decision not to stand for reelection, an end to the further commitment of U.S. Military power and increasing congressional restrictions on U.S. combat operations.” (Summers 326) Without the public supporting the effort by the US soldiers in Vietnam, the North Vietnamese had a different kind of victory, a victory in demoralization. The government itself was becoming pessimistic towards the end result of the war. With the war in Vietnam the government was also criticized, protests occurred nationwide in an effort to persuade withdrawal of …show more content…
The Vietnam War had segments that were broadcasted on television. The broadcasted events of the Tet Offensive appalled America’s viewers. The widely circulated photo of a suspected Viet Cong being executed by General Nguyen Ngoc Loan was a well-known photo that showed the hostility of the Tet Offensive. The events during the Tet Offensive were the first to cause public opinion on the war to change overnight, “public opinion polls showed that in the six weeks after the Tet Offensive, the percentage of Americans who approved of Johnson’s handling of the war plunged from 40 to 26; Johnson’s overall approval ratings dropped from 48 to 36 percent… Crowds of angry demonstrators chanted, ‘Hey, hey, LBJ. How many kids did you kill today?’” (Nash 665) President Johnson still attempted with public appearances to calm the crowds, “Public frustration grew as U.S. casualties mounted in the massive military commitment that now appeared uncertain of victory. President Johnson’s recent public relations effort had attempted to address this rising ambivalence, although his efforts ironically contributed to the shock of the Tet Offensive.” (Kutler 540) The Tet Offensive was what started the decline of American support for the war in Vietnam. Eventually President Johnson announced he would not seek reelection. Shortly after President Nixon was elected he spoke of becoming allies with China, “he felt that friendship