War Tet
What impact did the tet offenisve have on the american public opinion of the vietnam war?
people help me. i need a sorta short answer with alot off detail in it.
Before Tet, President Johnson kept telling us victory was right around the corner. After Tet, Walter Cronkite (CBS Evening News anchor) went to Vietnam and assessed the situation. After speaking with military personnel that had actually engaged the enemy and were therefore in a better position to know what was really happening on the battlefront (unlike politicians) Cronkite concluded that the war could not be won. We had no clear objectives for waging war, the jungle presented insurmountable problems, the Vietnamese public couldn't be convinced of our sincerity, our soldiers had no clear way to distinguish friendly natives from unfriendly, and the command structure reflected rank but not necessarily experience with how to wage a military campaign under the unique circumstances presented by the Vietnamese topography and political climate. The grief over Vietnam and loss of credibility led Johnson to announce that he wouldn't even run for reelection as president.
These circumstances are hardly unique. Our military forces are facing almost the exact same thing in Iraq and Afghanistan today.
As an aside, the military learned its lesson. How many news people have you seen over in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially interviewing our soldiers on the front? The only place I've seen any footage is in the film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore. It is sobering to say the least. President Bush banned the use of cameras when military caskets are being unloaded from planes on their arrival back home (so much for a free press). The national news media also no longer report how many soldiers have died each day in the campaigns. This was a daily ritual during the Vietnam War. All these things contributed to plummeting approval of the war by the American public. A well informed public is the adversary of political agenda.
Incidentally, Ho Chi Minh (leader of the Vietnamese resistance effort) was a US ally during WW 2, and Saddam Hussein was a US ally all the way up to the early 80's. He was given the key to Chicago in 1980. History repeats.
Malcolm is correct in his response below, but I didn't consider PBS mainstream news media. Also, Geraldo Rivera has gone to Iraq but was prevented from interviewing soldiers by the military.
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 1971 FLAG TET VC Viet Cong Battle Flag Vietnam War $5.90 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 9h 48m |
 VIETNAM JOURNAL COMIC BOOK WAR TET OFFENSIVE 68 DON LOMEX RARE OOP VINTAGE $6.88 Time Remaining: 1d 36m Buy It Now for only: $6.88 |
 Map 83 66 TET OFFENSIVE MARCH 1968 BIEN HOA Vietnam War SAIGON PROJECT $12.77 Time Remaining: 3d 1h 43m |
 QUANG NGAI CITY 6739 ii S AB 1968 TET OFFENSIVE BATTLE MAP Vietnam War $24.44 Time Remaining: 3d 1h 50m |
 Feb 1968 TIME BUSINESS WEEK Magazines Vietnam War TET KHE SANH Articles $4.00 Time Remaining: 3d 21h 11m |
 Map SAIGON Rare City Street Grid Vietnam War 1968 Tet Defenses In Place $19.68 Time Remaining: 3d 23h 8m |
 Patch 82nd AIRBORNE WINGS Vietnam War HUE PHU BAI SAIGON TET OFFENSIVE $6.06 Time Remaining: 3d 23h 49m |
 R42 RING Paratrooper 82nd AIRBORNE Vietnam War TET HUE CITY SAIGON $14.77 Time Remaining: 4d 12m |
 Fxii KHE SANH 1968 NLF VC Viet Cong BATTLE FLAG Vietnam War TET SIEGE $148.00 Time Remaining: 4d 1h 26m Buy It Now for only: $148.00 |
 Fxiv VC FLAG Tet Offensive 1968 CU CHI Vietnam War NLF F 100 Commandos $127.00 Time Remaining: 4d 3h 8m Buy It Now for only: $127.00 |
 2nd of APRIL 1968 SAIGON LOTTERY TICKET Vietnam War TET OFFENSIVE 20 PIA $22.77 Time Remaining: 4d 9h 24m Buy It Now for only: $22.77 |
 1968 TET SOUTH VIETNAM 20 DONG COIN VIETNAM War Tet Offensive $22.77 Time Remaining: 4d 9h 24m Buy It Now for only: $22.77 |
 SURVIVOR 1968 TET OFFENSIVE Vietnam War Patch $10.99 Time Remaining: 4d 23h 24m Buy It Now for only: $10.99 |
 1968 TET PHU BAI VICTORYVC NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT BATTLE BANNER VIETNAM WAR $18.99 Time Remaining: 5d 2h 23m |
 1968 TET BINH GIA VICTORY VC NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT BATTLE FLAG VIETNAM WAR $18.99 Time Remaining: 9d 3h 59m Buy It Now for only: $18.99 |
 Vietnam War Patch SURVIVOR Year 1968 TET OFFENSIVE $10.95 Time Remaining: 15d 4h 35m Buy It Now for only: $10.95 |
 South Vietnam 1968 10 DONG COIN Vietnam War RVN Tet Offensive CONG HOA $24.88 Time Remaining: 21d 8h 25m Buy It Now for only: $24.88 |
 Drug alcohol War Vietnam Duster tanks Cu Chi TET book $24.95 Time Remaining: 23d 18h 8m Buy It Now for only: $24.95 |
 VIETNAM WAR PATCH US TET OFFENSIVE 1968 SURVIVOR $12.98 Time Remaining: 25d 6h 50m Buy It Now for only: $12.98 |
 3 Nam War Patches VIETCONG HUNTING GUN CLUB SURVIVOR 1968 TET OFFENSIVE $22.95 Time Remaining: 25d 16h 56m Buy It Now for only: $22.95 |
 Vietnam War Tet Offensive Internal Memo re US Deaths $875.00 Time Remaining: 26d 23h 57m Buy It Now for only: $875.00 |