The Tet Offensive and the Principles of War.
Abstract
Although not a decisive operational success, the Tet Offensive is the acknowledged turning point of the Vietnam War. Using the Principles of War as a framework, we can gain insight into the cultural, operational and situational factors that affected the North Vietnamese planning strategies and execution realities and led to this result. Although the Communists considered the Principle of War when they planned this major operation, execution of the plan revealed weaknesses in a number of areas. These weaknesses were due, in large part, to North Vietnamese cultural bias and perceptions. Understanding the impact of these factors on the planning and execution of military operations is increasingly important in the context of today's multinational coalitions, non-traditional adversaries, and military operations other than war.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 14, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA307492
Entities
People
- Nancy V. Kneipp
Organizations
- Naval War College