In the Tet Offensive of 1968, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces launched a massive countrywide attack on South Vietnam. Though the Communists failed to achieve their tactical and operational objectives, James Willbanks claims Hanoi won a strategic victory. The offensive proved that America's progress was grossly overstated and caused many Americans and key presidential advisors to question the wisdom of prolonging combat.
Willbanks also maintains that the Communists laid siege to a Marine combat base two weeks prior to the Tet Offensive-known as the Battle of Khe Sanh—to distract the United States. It is his belief that these two events are intimately linked, and in his concise and compelling history, he presents an engaging portrait of the conflicts and singles out key problems of interpretation.
Willbanks divides his study into six sections, beginning with a historical overview of the events leading up to the offensive, the attack itself, and the consequent battles of Saigon, Hue, and Khe Sahn. He continues with a critical assessment of the main themes and issues surrounding the offensive, and concludes with excerpts from American and Vietnamese documents, maps and chronologies, an annotated list of resources, and a short encyclopedia of key people, places, and events.
An experienced military historian and scholar of the Vietnam War, Willbanks has written a unique critical reference and guide that enlarges the debate surrounding this important turning point in America's longest war.
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Abbreviations
- Part I: Historical Overview
- Chapter 1. Prelude
- AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION
- PUBLIC RELATIONS AND WESTMORELAND’S OPTIMISM
- TROOP DISPOSITION
- THE COMMUNIST DECISION TO CONDUCT THE OFFENSIVE
- THE PLAN
- PREPARING FOR THE OFFENSIVE
- Chapter 2. Border Battles, Hill Fights, and Khe Sanh
- KHE SANH
- THE HILL FIGHTS
- OPERATION NIAGARA
- THE SIEGE OF KHE SANH BEGINS
- Chapter 3. The Tet Offensive
- THE OFFENSIVE BEGINS
- THE BATTLE FOR SAIGON
- THE BATTLE AT THE U.S. EMBASSY
- ATTACKS AROUND THE CITY
- THE BATTLE OF CHOLON
- TET COUNTRYWIDE
- Chapter 4. The Battle for Hue
- THE BATTLE BEGINS
- THE MARINES RESPOND
- FIGHTING IN THE NEW CITY
- THE FIGHT FOR THE CITADEL
- Chapter 5. The Siege of Khe Sanh
- THE FALL OF LANG VEI
- RESUPPLYING THE MARINES
- TACTICAL AIR SUPPORT
- A NEW ATTACK
- LIFTING THE SIEGE
- Chapter 6. The Impact of the Tet Offensive
- POLITICAL FALLOUT
- THE REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL TROOPS
- THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY
- THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1968
- Chapter 7. Assessing the Tet Offensive
- Part II: Issues and Interpretations
- Chapter 8. Motivations and Objectives of the Tet Offensive
- Chapter 9. Military Intelligence and Surprise at Tet
- Chapter 10. What Happened at Hue?
- Chapter 11. Why Khe Sanh?
- Chapter 12. Tet and the Media
- Chapter 13. Tet and American Military Strategy
- Notes
- Part III: Chronology, 1967–68
- Part IV: The Tet Offensive A to Z
- Part V: Documents
- PRESIDENT JOHNSON’S “SAN ANTONIO FORMULA” SPEECH OF SEPTEMBER 29, 1967
- DIRECTIVE ON FORTHCOMING OFFENSIVE AND UPRISINGS
- CAPABILITIES OF THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNISTS FOR FIGHTING IN SOUTH VIETNAM, NOVEMBER 13, 1967 (EXTRACT)
- ADDRESS BY COMMANDER OF U.S. FORCES IN VIETNAM, GENERAL WILLIAM C. WESTMORELAND, NOVEMBER 21, 1967 (EXTRACT)
- “SAIGON UNDER FIRE”
- MEMORANDUM FROM CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF GENERAL EARLE G. WHEELER FOR THE PRESIDENT, FEBRUARY 12, 1968(EXTRACT
- WALTER CRONKITE’S “WE ARE MIRED INSTALEMATE” CBS NEWS BROADCAST, FEBRUARY 27, 1968
- REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF GENERAL EARLE G. WHEELER ON THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM AND MACV FORCE REQUIREMENTS, FEBRUARY 27, 1968 (EXTRACT)
- SUMMARY OF NOTES FROM MARCH 26, 1968, MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON AND THE WISE MEN
- PRESIDENT JOHNSON’S ADDRESS TO THE NATION ANNOUNCING HIS DECISION NOT TO SEEK REELECTION, MARCH 31, 1968
- Part VI: Resources
- General Works
- Lyndon Johnson and the War
- The Tet Offensive
- The Battle of Hue
- The Siege of Khe Sanh
- The Hill Fights and Border Battles
- President Lyndon B. Johnson and the Media
- Military Intelligence and Tet
- U.S. Strategy in Vietnam
- Combat After-Action Reports and Command Histories
- Microfilm/Microfiche
- Documentary Films
- Electronic Resources
- CD-ROMs
- Archives and Libraries
- Index
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