Discuss two consequences of the Tet Offensive (1968).

The Tet Offensive significantly impacted the American public's perception of the Vietnam war. The publication of the Offensive caused the American public to challenge US involvement in the war and the conduct of American soldiers. An example of this was the media exposure of the My Lai massacre of 1968 where US soldiers raided the village of My Lai in search of Vietcong guerrillas. In the process of doing so they were responsible for the killing of approximately 300 civilians, including children. This tarnished the public opinion of the Vietnam war and resulted in a loss of support for the continuation of the war. Public figures such as Martin Luther King and Walter Cronkite had also spoken out against the atrocities of the war which further contributed to the Tet Offensive being a turning point in the change of US attitudes towards the Vietnam war.Another consequence of the Tet Offensive was the severe loss of morale of the US and South Vietnamese forces. This was because they had suffered a loss of around 3,000 soldiers as the battles continued throughout the country for weeks. Although the Vietcong had suffered a greater number of casualties, their resilience highlighted the lack of progress the US were making against the Vietcong. Despite their soldiers and money, the Tet Offensive showed Americans that they had not been successful in containing Communism.