Tet Offensive

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tet-offensive

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the date of initial attacks?January 30-31, 1968
2. What is the primary objective?To trigger political instability and spark a popular uprising in South Vietnam
3. What was the Tet Offensive and when did it happen?The Tet Offensive was a surprise attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces that began on January 30 and continued into January 31, 1968, during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.
4. Why did they choose the Lunar New Year for the attack?They chose that time because many South Vietnamese soldiers were on leave, making it easier to surprise them.

Politburo: The main decision-making committee of a communist political party.
Asymmetric Warfare: Conflict between belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly.
Public Opinion: The collective attitudes and beliefs of a population on a particular issue.