Vietnam War volume 2 ep 6

What was the key to Saigon's successful defense against the Viet Cong's surprise attacks on the city during the Tet Offensive?

ARVN defenders were bolstered by U.S. troops that had been repositioned throughout the city in advanced.

What did President Johnson do to encourage peace talks with the North Vietnamese?

Ended American bombing runs near Hanoi.

What was the main reason why the Tet Offensive was a strategic loss for the U.S.?

It caused many Americans to doubt the Johnson administration's promise that victory was close.

How successful was the Tet Offensive for the Viet Cong?

Not successful, as they lost a disproportionate number of troops.

What happened for the first time during the defeat of the Viet Cong and NVA in the Tet Offensive that made it a "costly lesson?"

Surrender of several high ranking North Vietnamese officers.

Why were General Westmoreland and MACV unprepared for the start of the "General Offensive, General Uprising?"

They believed the Viet Cong would honor the truce that was made for Tet.

Prior to the Tet Offensive, what did the Viet Cong do to prepare to surprise American and south Vietnamese forces?

They disguised themselves as civilians and snuck weapons into the city.

Why did retreating Viet Cong and North Vietnamese execute South Vietnamese men, women, and children they had rounded up?

They feared the prisoners would be able to identify their revolutionary captors.

How did North Vietnamese leadership respond to the civil unrest in America and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy?

They used it as an opportunity to highlight America's issues and to highlight their own resolve.

Why did Johnson and Westmoreland consider the battle of khe sahn to be particularly important politically?

They wanted to avoid a humiliating defeat like the French suffered at Dien Bien Phu.

What was the purpose of Le Duan's "Mini-Tet" in the May of 1968?

To overthrow South Vietnam's government and encourage revolution.

What made fighting in Hue some of the longest and bloodiest of the Tet Offensive? (Hue city)

U.S. forces had to fight their way down each block and through every home. (house to house street to street)