This discussion addresses the following outcomes:
Analyze the Tet Offensive and its aftermath ;
The events of 1968, both in the US and in Vietnam, left Americans reeling. In the US, assassinations, racial strife, anti-war protests, and economic problems each contributed to a growing general sense of disillusionment.
Concerning the US-Vietnam War, the Tet Offensive of January had a profound impact on public opinion of the war. While US forces continued to fight, Johnson's advisors fiercely debated policy, North Vietnam feigned interest in negotiating a settlement, the Viet Cong/NLF continued to assert themselves in South Vietnam, and the American people wrestled over popular opinion and the way forward in Vietnam.
After completing all of the Module 6 readings, and viewing/listening to the Module 6 Notes Presentation
Required
Module 6 Notes Presentation
Herring, America's Longest War, Chapter 6
O'Brien: The Things They Carried. pp. 59-124
Graham, H. (2003). The Brothers' Vietnam War: Black Power, Manhood, and the Military Experience. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, Chapters 3 and 4, After completing all of the Module 6 readings, and viewing/listening to the Module 6 Notes Presentation
Craft a response to the following questions in a post of at least 250 words:
Why was the Tet Offensive a political and public relations "loss" for the US despite the fact that it was a tactical victory?
Popular arguments about the Vietnam War sometimes revolve around the role of the press during and after Tet. Did the press "turn" public opinion against the war or did the "facts on the ground" do this?
In the aftermath of Tet, senior civilian and military officials were divided over the path forward and both groups attempted to sway Johnson. Why were both options unattractive to Johnson?