The Tet Offensive comprised of many surprise attacks by Northern Vietnamese rebels on the U.S military in 1968. The Vietnamese believed this war was an effort to save their nation from American invasion. The offensive was launched by soldiers and guerilla fighters. It proved to be a turning point in the war. There was a strong army of over 85000 Vietnamese soldiers that launched the attacks, killing scores of American soldiers. The attack of Northern Vietnam on the South rattled the U.S military. The guerilla tactics used by the rebels almost outshone the might of the American army. The offensive had several impacts on the outcomes of the war.
The offensive resulted in heavy losses for both sides. About 58000 U.S soldiers died and 304 others wounded. The Vietnamese lost about 1.4 million people from both the south and north. About 2.1 million others were wounded. Even though the Vietnamese had launched an ambitious attack to defeat the Americans, they lost the war after the Tet offensive. The offensive cost them a lot of their manpower because many fighters were killed. The Americans had superior weapons. The Vietnamese had no adequate supply of weapons. The rebels captured a few cities in the South; they were easily overtaken by the Americans.
Despite the loss, the offensive was a boost for the Northern Communists because psychologically and politically, they made their presence felt against strong American opposition. Generally, the Tet Offensive contributed significantly to the end of the Vietnam War. The American public raised their concern at how the war was being handled. Many deaths to soldiers led to change in strategy by American military to save their manpower. After the offensive, the rebels were weak and could no longer sustain a big threat to Americans till they were defeated.
References
Willbanks, J. H. (2008). The Tet Offensive: A Concise History (illustrated, annotated, reprint ed.). Washington: Columbia University Press.
Wirtz, J. J. (1994). The Tet Offensive: Intelligence Failure in War (reprint, illustrated ed.). Nw York: Cornell University Press.
