How did the Tet Offensive damage American morale?
1 Answer
It had a damaging psychological effect.
Explanation:
When the Tet offensive was launched in January 1968, the American public were being told they were winning the war. However more and more Americans were opposing the war. Tet was to prove pivotal in turning the American public against the war.
Tet was a switch in tactics by the communists. They switched their focus to South Vietnam's cities. They fully exploited the extensive media coverage of the war. Scenes such as fighting in the US embassy in Saigon, the summary execution of a Vietcong suspect by a South Vietnamese police chief and the destruction of the ancient city of Hue, brought home to the American the reality of war and the distinct impression they were losing.
Although militarily it was a defeat for the communists, psychologically it was extremely successful in further eroding the morale of the American public in their support for the war.
