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The TET truce was originally a time of ceasefire during the Vietnam War between North Vietnam and South Vietnam to allow for the celebration of the Vietnamese holiday the lunar New Year. It was part of the Second Indochinese Conflict. The truce begun in 1967 from the 8th to the 12th of February. In 1968 during the period of TET, North Vietnamese forces broke the truce and attacked South Vietnam. This event became known as the TET offensive. The impact of this truce and the subsequent breaking of the truce became significant to the direction and results of the Vietnamese war.

The First Indochinese Conflict
The First Indochinese Conflict began in August 1945 when Japan surrendered control of Vietnam. Following this, on September 2nd, Ho Chi Minh capitalized on a lacking of government and declared Vietnam’s independence. However, When Japan withdrew from the region, it fell to British and Chinese troops to oversee the withdrawal. Ultimately, it was decided by these countries that Vietnam would be restored to French colonial rule. By 1946, France had sent 50,000 troops in to Vietnam and in November, French Naval Vessels attacked the city of Haiphong, killing many civilians and leading to retaliation from the Viet Minh (Ho Chi Minh’s army). By December, there were two sides at war. Fighting ensued for 9 years until the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The attack of Dien Bien Phu was a surprise attack initiated by Vietnam against French forces who occupied a base in this area. The result of the attack was withdrawal of French forces from the area and the signing of the Geneva Accords. The result of the Geneva Accords was the impermanent separation of Vietnam along the 17th parallel of latitude. This resulted in a communist North, led by Ho Chi Minh, and a US-supported South.

Outbreak of the Second Indochinese Conflict
The second Indochinese conflict broke out as a result of the first conflict. South Vietnam received heavy backing from the United States. Additionally, this conflict was occurring within the same time as the Cold War, which was a period of tension between the Soviet Union and America, based on the expansion of communism and America’s attempts to halt this. As such, America backed South Vietnam in an attempt to halt Ho Chi Minh’s communist government spreading throughout Vietnam. The North was backed by the Soviet Union and China, although the US were far more present in the conflict. This conflict therefore, became a proxy war.

Aim/initial intention of the Tet Truce
The aims/initial intention of the truce was to allow for the celebration of the Lunar New Year which was an annual Vietnamese holiday. To expand on this, the New Year is celebrated in Vietnam in accordance with the lunar calendar, historically falling between mid-January and early March. The name of this celebration, ‘Tet’, is derived from the word ‘tết’, meaning ‘season’. While across the country, Tet is celebrated in different ways, there are common themes that have historically underpinned the event including; Tet as a reunion, a jubilant event, an event of faith and Tet as resurgence of plant, human and animal relationships.

1967
The Tet Truce first began in 1967, between the dates of 8th-12th of February. The period allowed for celebration of the Vietnamese New Year. Once the truce had ended and in the following months, North Vietnamese forces began planning the Tet offensive that would take place during 1968’s truce period. The planning phase began July 7th, 1967. For the end of 1967, North Vietnam and South Vietnam/US forces had been caught in a stalemate. Despite US’s superior resources, the guerrilla tactics of North Vietnam provided no side with an advantage.

What happened
US had received intel predicting an attack on the base of Khe Sanh. US forces immediately saw this to be an attempt to mimic the attack of Dien Bien Phu which occurred during the First Indochinese Conflict in 1954. In predicting this attack, General Westmoreland began sending resources and troops to the Khe Sanh base. The North Vietnam Army (NVA) and VietCong (VC) attacked this base on the 21st of January. This however was a divisionary attack. Nine days later, on the 30th of January the Tet truce had begun and so had the official Tet offensive. The attack saw 36 of 44 provinces in South Vietnam attacked by the North Vietnam Army in a coordinated attack. In the city of Saigon, the US embassy – which prior to had been viewed as impenetrable – had been occupied by North Vietnam forces for 8 hours along with the Post Office. This attack is now recognized as the turning point of the Vietnam War.

North Vietnam
The impact that the TET offensive had on North Vietnam is largely characterized in a military sense. Ultimately, The North Vietnam forces of the NLF, PAVN and VC suffered the highest casualty rate of approximately 60,000 people and that is not including people who were injured. They also had 24,000 of their weapons captured. As such, militarily, TET was won by South Vietnam and US forces. However, the importance of this battle must not be understood in purely military terms as it was this event that would ultimately result in North Vietnams victory.

South Vietnam and Allied US forces
South Vietnamese forces and US forces suffered a casualty rate of 12,727 including 2,600 fatalities. This figure shows that the US and South Vietnam’s combined forces had militarily won this conflict. However, the public suffered as a result of its occurrence with 7,721 civilian’s killed, 18,516 wounded, 75,000 homes destroyed and 670,000 people declared refugees. South Vietnam’s economy was stifled as were social elements of their country. Additionally, US forces had supplied troops, weaponry and developed military tactics/plans to counter those of North Vietnam. Hence, the US held a large element of control in this conflict. Prior to the TET offensive, General Westmoreland (commander of US forces) and President LB Johnson had applied a philosophy strictly based on winning to the war. Additionally, they had communicated messages to the US public that were highly positive of America’s war, indicating that it would soon be over with a US victory. Following the TET offensive, it became clear however that Johnson and Westmoreland had exaggerated their success in the war, resulting in distrust from the US home front. This therefore forced Johnson’s decision not to run for re-election. When Nixon assumed presidency, he implemented a policy of withdrawal of troops, hence, showing that despite winning the battle, North Vietnam had destablised South Vietnam and US forces in the TET offensive to the point where the direction of the war altered.

Impact of the TET offensive on the US home front
The TET offensive had a significant effect on public opinion on the US home front. President Lyndon B Johnson’s commentary that “the enemy has not been beaten but he knows that he has met his master in the field” as well as General Westmoreland saying that he could see “light at the end of the tunnel” had inspired views on the home front that the US would soon be emerging from this conflict victorious. However, due to the Vietnam War being a televised war, when the TET offensive occurred it demonstrated that government had lied to the public, hence undermining the institution. Additionally, the televised element of this war also showed people in the US the brutality of war. Because of these culminating elements, the US military loss the support of the home front as is attested by the many antiwar movements that followed. From this came Johnson not re-electing, and the consequent presidency of Nixon who is responsible for US withdrawal from the conflict.

Cambodia
The instability of Cambodia in this time was heavily hinged on the instability that was experience in Vietnam. For one thing, Cambodia received incessant bombing from US forces as they attempted to damage the ability of North Vietnam to travel via the Ho Chi Minh trail. But more than that, Cambodia was also influenced by Vietnam in the sense that there was a cold war outbreak also in Cambodia. Head of state, Prince Sihanouk held power in Cambodia until he was deposed by a coup planned by Marshall Lon Nol (previous prime minister). The coup was successful and Lon Nol took control. However, following this, Prince Sihanouk aligned himself with the Khmer Rouge – an active communist group in Cambodia at this time. This resulted in the outbreak of conflict between the Khmer Rouge, lead by Pol Pot, and Lon Nol’s army. The Khmer Rouge were aided by Vietnam and eventually, began defeating the Cambodian forces. By the end of 1972, Vietnam had withdrawn from the conflict leaving the Khmer Rouge in control of 85%of Cambodia. As Lon Nol was backed by the US, they were able to continue fighting until 1975. At this stage, the Khmer Rouge had assumed total control of the country and enacted a policy of Radical Agrarian Marxism. Pol Pot also announced policies towards racial and cultural purity, desiring to return to the ancient glory days of Angkor. The reign of the Khmer Rouge lasted from 1975-1979 and saw 2 million people die which was around 1/3 of the Cambodian population. It was overthrown in 1979 but the invasion of Vietnamese troops.

Laos
Laos was also impacted by the Vietnam War. It had also been exposed to bombing from the US. The ‘Operation Barrel Roll’ was one particular campaign that targeted North-Eastern Laos. The country also experienced a cold war outbreak. By 1968, there had been a number of communist attacks by the communist party; the Pathet Lao. These attacks had the aim of diminishing the capacity of the Royal Laos Army, which it successfully did, reducing numbers to barely 1000 men. In April of 1973, Royalists and the Pathet Lao got equal representation in a new administration and from mid 1973 to early 1975, the party began to slyly take over the government. By August, the Pathet Lao had near control, however it wasn’t until December that their power became validated. This was achieved with the resignation of the King, closure of the government and the development of the Laos People Democratic Republic. This government sought the restoration of a one-party state, which evidently they achieved. Today, Laos remains one of the only remaining socialist states in the world.