The Tet Offensive and the Viet Cong

1. The Tet Offensive and the Viet Cong Learning Intentions: Demonstrate an understanding of basic facts about Tet. Analyse TET as an indicator of Viet Cong strengths. Evaluate Tet: American or Communist Victory?

2. Answer these questions in the back of your book. • What was the significance of ‘Tet’ in the Vietnamese calendar? • Which year did the Tet offensive occur? • Which MAJOR Vietnamese city was targeted? • Which significant building was occupied by Vietnamese nationalists? • Name the Vietnamese group that carried out the attacks. • Name the military leader of this group. • Name the American General who reassured the public that the US was in control.

3. The answers… • It was the Vietnamese New Year and a public holiday (January 31) • 1968 • Saigon (and over 100 other cities and towns) • The United States Embassy • Viet Cong (also known as the National Liberation Front) • General Vo Nguyen Giap (Giap will do) • Westmoreland,

4. Match these numbers

5. Match these numbers

6. Back of your books • What was the proper name for the Viet Cong? • How did the first 10,000 VC get to South Vietnam? • Ultimate Viet Cong goal?

7. Answers • National Liberation Front • Viet Minh soldiers who remained in the south after the division of Vietnam in 1954. • Reunification of Vietnam (Unite Vietnam is okay….). ‘Expel foreigners’ is not enough – they wanted ONE Vietnam….

8. “The Viet Cong were a significant nationalist group” - how does the Tet Offensive demonstrate this?. Do this in groups of 5! Use evidence from the text (brief quotes, statistics)

9. Effective methods of warfare • Took guerrilla warfare methods to the streets of Saigon (the 4000 fighters operated in small teams and emphasised mobility and surprise). • Used civilian cars and clothes to disguise their appearance – made conventional (soldier on soldier) warfare difficult. • Used manholes in Saigon (like jungle tunnels!)

10. Popular support • Scale of attack demonstrates popularity (70,000 soldiers attacking more than 100 cities and towns) • Saigon residents had stockpiled weapons for the Viet Cong (similar to the role played by villagers in rural areas)

11. Planning and organisation • The Tet Offensive attacks were launched in a 24 hour period and simultaneously targeted over 100 locations throughout South Vietnam. • Weapons had been stockpiled in Saigon for years.

12. Giap’s leadership and attitude • Giap believed in the use of mobility and the avoidance of enemy units that could hit back. This was demonstrated in the mobility of the small squads of men in Saigon. • Giap believed that the United States was overextended and that popular support for President Johnson’s war would fade if the United States continued to experience military setbacks. This thinking led to Tet…. • Giap was prepared to wage a war for decades and sacrifice “thousands or even tens of thousands” of lives to achieve victory. The high Viet Cong casualties during Tet were evidence of this.

13. Ties to North Vietnam • General Giap was the Defence Minister and Commander of the Armed Forces for North Vietnam AND the chief military strategist for the Viet Cong. • The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) had attacked the marine base at Khe Sanh 11 days before Tet. This shows shared leadership, coordination and planning.

14. In pairs BRIEFLY complete these sentences… The most convincing victory belongs to… Because…..

15. Impact of Tet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiW5FXs1n6M News Broadcast in February… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdOb_183d1o&feature=fvw President Johnson says “I will not run!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-FibDxpkb0 Tet and Consequences

16. Tet: The Consequences • January 31 Tet Offensive • February 1  Photograph of South Vietnamese Police Chief Loan executing a Viet Cong suspect in Saigon further inflames the anti-war protest movement. • Early March  U.S. troops have cleared the last towns of Viet Cong forces. 50,000 communists have been killed. • March  General Westmoreland asks for 200,000 more troops. New Defence Secretary Clark Clifford warns him that the U.S. may have to withdraw all troops. • March 31  After narrowly winning the first Presidential Primary Johnson announces that he will not seek re-election.

17. May – NovemberPeace Talks - Nixon • May 10. Peace talks open in Paris. Johnson had reduced the bombing attacks on North Vietnam and challenged Hanoi to enter peace talks. • Averill Harrison (U.S. Representative) and Xuan Thuy (North Vietnam) reach a deadlock that lasts five years! Thuy insisted that the Viet Cong be included in the Saigon government (significant group!) but the U.S. refuse to deal with the Viet Cong. • Five days before the election Johnson calls for an end to Operation Rolling Thunder. • Richard Nixon defeats Hubert Humphrey and wins the 1968 election. He has promised to end the war but has not stated how…. • Christmas 1968: Viet Cong . American bombing has stopped, Johnson has gone, anti-war protests are dividing America and 30,000 Americans have been killed in Vietnam.

19. Your homework Due: Next Tuesday A detailed essay plan… • Topic sentence (the main point) • At least 6 Bullet Points that explain the key idea and provide evidence to support it.

20. And remember…