1968 - Tet, a failure and a huge success

The Offensive of Tet in Vietnam, in January 1968, was a signal. We did not noticed it then, but it was a clear signal that the incredible would come true during this unbelievable year.

The Offensive of North Vietnamese soldiers and guerrilla soldiers from South Vietnam was a failure but at the same time a huge success -- not immediately but in the long term.

North Vietnam attacked the capital of the US-allied South Vietnam, the city of Saigon. They had some quick sucesses like taking the US Embassy there. But it did not last. The reaction was also quick and the US recovered all the North Vietnam targets.

OK, but this was also the beginning of the end. The Offensive was transmitted by TV to the US and as a consequence the public opinion could see, live, that the reports from the US Army that assured that the victory was near became a sad lie for most of the American people.

From the Offensive of Tet on, the people of the United States lost the confidence in their Army. The war in that far little Asian country was since then considered a farse. The protests against the war started to become more and more usual. The result: six or seven years after, the US ran from Vietnam. The most powerful Army in Earth runned from a small group of little soldiers.

And it all started in that January. The first month of a fantastic year.

We should notice -- 1968 would not be a common year. Tet was a clear message. The period of big and unthinkable change was just beginning.