CHAPTER 29 • SECTION 2
Teach
Tet: A Turning Point
Reader, Recorder, Reporter
• What advantages did the Communists gain by
attacking on a holiday? (No one expected it
then; streets were crowded and soldiers dressed
in civilian clothes could not be distinguished
from other civilians.)
• Summarize Why were some Americans
losing faith in government predictions? (They
heard that victory was near, but military
defeats kept mounting.)
Answer: The U.S. troops
used chemicals that
destroyed the landscape;
conducting search-anddestroy missions to root
out Viet Cong fighters;
and destroyed proCommunist villages.
(below right) A U.S. tank
rolls into Saigon during
the Tet Offensive.
American Strategies One of the strengths of the Viet Cong was their
ability to hide in the jungle and in underground tunnels. To reveal and
destroy Viet Cong hideouts, American troops used chemicals that ruined the
napalm, jellied
landscape. Over wide areas, U.S. planes dropped bombs of napalm
Orange a chemical
gasoline that burns violently. Planes also sprayed Agent Orange,
that kills plants, over the jungles.
Such chemicals helped destroy the hideouts and food supplies of the Viet
Cong. But in the process, they also harmed innocent Vietnamese villagers.
Later, people learned that Agent Orange harmed U.S. soldiers as well. Veterans exposed to it have suffered from skin diseases and cancers.
Search-and-destroy missions were another American war tactic that terrorized Vietnamese villagers. In such missions, soldiers hunted Viet Cong and
burned or bombed villages thought to be sheltering them.
These destructive methods defeated the purpose of “winning the hearts
and minds” of the villagers and turning them against communism. Even if
the tactics did clear a village of Viet Cong temporarily, the Viet Cong usually
returned later.
SUMMARIZE Describe how the U.S. forces tried to defeat the Viet Cong.
See margin.
Tet Offensive January 30 and 31, 1968
Tet: A Turning Point
KEY QUESTION How did the Tet offensive
affect the course of the war?
By the end of 1967, neither side was close to
victory. Despite this stalemate, U.S. military
officials claimed that they would soon win
the war. Then an unexpected turn of events
changed the situation completely.
Tet Offensive
January 30 and 31, 1968
Connect Geography
History
DRAW CONCLUSIONS Point out that
battles occurred throughout South Vietnam,
not just near the DMZ.
ANSWERS
1. Human-Environment Interaction
It allowed soldiers and supplies to move
into South Vietnam.
2. Make Inferences It suggests that South
Vietnam was not secure at the time.
CONNECT
Connect Geography
to the Essential Question
2. Make Inferences What does the number and location
of attacks suggest about South Vietnam’s security?
What were the causes and effects of
the Vietnam War?
Ask students what they have learned so far
that can help them answer this question.
Students might mention:
• After U.S. ships were fired upon in the
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Congress
authorized the president to bomb
North Vietnam and send in combat
ground troops.
• A poor nation with guerrilla soldiers
fought off the United States, even though
that country had greater wealth and
more weapons.
• The Tet offensive in 1968 led many U.S.
citizens to question the war.
918 Chapter 29
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION: TIERED ACTIVITIES
OBJECTIVE Analyze key events related to the Vietmam War.
Basic
On Level
Challenge
Have students create a chart
on the board that lists the
following events and dates:
Have students write short
narrative descriptions of each
of the events on the chart.
Descriptions should explain
what happened and why.
Have students describe
the effects of the events
listed. Effects should include
effects on the war itself,
the Vietnamese people, and
Americans.
• 1964 Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution
• 1965–1968 Large increases
in U.S. troops
• 1965–1968 Use of napalm
and Agent Orange
• 1968 Tet offensive
918 • Chapter 29
History
1. Human-Environment Interaction How did the Ho
Chi Minh Trail make the Tet offensive possible?
The Tet Surprise On January 30 and 31, 1968, the Communists launched
offensive. This was a surprise attack on U.S. military bases and more
the Tet offensive
than 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam. It came during Tet, the Vietnamese celebration of the lunar new year.
In preparation for the offensive, the Viet Cong smuggled weapons into
South Vietnamese cities. Soldiers dressed in civilian clothes entered the cities
on buses, on motorcycles, and on foot. No one could tell them apart from
the war refugees fleeing the countryside or visitors coming for the holiday.
The Viet Cong fought to take over the cities during the offensive. They
killed not only enemy soldiers but also government officials, schoolteachers,
doctors, and priests. The Tet offensive was a military defeat for the Communists. They gained no cities and lost 45,000 soldiers.
CHAPTER 29 • SECTION 2
Connecting History
Politics and Warfare
Tet is a good example
of how guerrilla warfare
defies conventional
military logic. By any
military standards, Tet was
a devastating defeat for
the North Vietnamese. But
the war was waged on
political as well as military
fronts. Consequently, Westmoreland lost the public
relations battle over Tet.
Connecting History
Politics and Warfare
In previous years, U.S. and Viet Cong
forces had agreed on a short truce to allow
Vietnamese people to celebrate one of
their important holidays. After announcing
the truce in 1968, Communist forces then
attacked throughout South Vietnam.
Many Americans were stunned because of
previous military announcements, which
minimized opposing forces and enhanced
U.S. victories. They then doubted that
Communist forces had suffered a military
defeat during Tet and that their forces
had been significantly weakened. Then
Gen. Westmoreland again requested over
200,000 more troops. This request increased
the skepticism of the American people.
U.S. Doubts Grow But the attack stunned Americans. General Westmoreland had recently suggested that victory was in sight. The Tet offensive
raised doubts that this was true. A “credibility gap” was growing between the
government’s claims and what the public saw was really happening.
Tet also made many people in the United States question the wisdom of
the U.S. mission in Vietnam. To retake some cities, troops had to almost level
them with bombing. Speaking of the city of Ben Tre, a U.S. major said, “It
became necessary to destroy the town in order to save it.” The quote spoke
for what many considered the senselessness of the war, and it motivated
some U.S. citizens, especially young people, to publicly protest the war.
RECOGNIZE EFFECTS Explain how the Tet offensive changed the course of
the war.
Answer: U.S. officials
were saying that the war
was almost over, but
the fact that the North
Vietnamese could launch
such a large-scale attack
made Americans doubt
the war could be won.
ONLINE QUIZ
2
Section Assessment
TERMS & NAMES
1. Explain the importance of
• guerrilla warfare
• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
• escalation
For test practice, go to
Interactive Review @ ClassZone.com
• William Westmoreland
• Tet offensive
USING YOUR READING NOTES
2. Summarize Complete the diagram you started at
the beginning of this section.
Tactics
Viet Cong
U.S.
surprise
attacks
large-scale
bombing
Weapons
4
KEY IDEAS
3. What made fighting the war so frustrating for
American soldiers?
4. Why did the Tet offensive make Americans doubt they
could win the war?
Assess & Reteach
Assess Have students complete the Section
Assessment.
Unit 10 Resource Book
• Section Quiz, p. 122
CRITICAL THINKING
5. Analyze Point of View Were the Viet Cong right
to see the Americans “merely as successors to the
French”? Why or why not?
6. Compare and Contrast Compare and contrast the
American and Viet Cong approaches to fighting the
war.
7. Draw Conclusions How was the Tet offensive a
success for the Viet Cong, even though they lost many
fighters and gained no cities?
8. Writing Letter Imagine that you are an
American soldier serving in Vietnam. Write a brief
letter to your family describing your experiences.
Interactive Review
@ ClassZone.com
Power Presentations
Test Generator
Reteach Write each of the 3 main headings on
the board. Ask the class to provide bullets points
under each heading and then explain each point
orally.
Unit 10 Resource Book
• Reteaching Activity, p. 126
The Vietnam War Years 919
SECTION 2 ASSESSMENT ANSWERS
Terms & Names
1. guerrilla warfare, p. 915; Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution, p. 916; escalation, p. 916; William
Westmoreland, p. 916; Tet offensive, p. 919
Using Your Reading Notes
2. Viet Cong: ambushes—land mines, booby
traps, tunnels, grenades; United States:
bombing—from air, chemicals, destroying
villages
Key Ideas
3. Possible Answer: The United States did not
commit all resources to the war because of fear
of a war with China.
4. They thought victory was close, but the Tet
offensive showed the strength and persistence
of Vietnamese fighters.
Critical Thinking
5. Yes—they occupied the country and controlled
the government; No—they may not have
exploited Vietnam in the same way.
6. America used tanks and planes and standard
methods; the Viet Cong used guerrilla
methods, attacking at night or from caves.
7. It made United States wonder if it could win
the war and showed that the Viet Cong could
stage major surprise attacks.
8. Letters should show an understanding of the
problems and frustrations that U.S. soldiers
faced. Use the rubric to score students’ letters.
Letter Rubric
Content
Accuracy
4
excellent; addresses all or
most important points
no errors
3
good; addresses some
important points
few/minor errors
2
fair; addresses few
important points
several errors
1
poor; addresses no
important points
many errors
Teacher’s Edition • 919