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American society and the US decision to retreat from Vietnam 1968 1973

...... The literature points to a number of political reasons for the decision to retreat. However, there are possibly two cardinal aspects that had a decisive effect on political or policy initiatives in government; these are the expression of opposition to the war by the American people and the pervasive influence of the media

2. Brief Background


While space does not permit an extensive analysis of the major events in the war that led up to the decision to retreat, a few major events and factors should be noted especially with regard to their impact on public perception of the course and direction of the war. One of the most visible perceived cracks in US resolve and for the hope of a rapid victory in the region was Tet offensive in 1968. As Attarian ( 2000) states;
As fighting intensified, American battle deaths soared, from 1,369 in 1965 to 14,592 in 1968, the year of the Tet offensive (Tet being the Vietnamese lunar New Year holiday), in which communist troops attacked throughout South Vietnam. Although repulsed with staggering losses, the offensive made the war seem unwinnable. (Attarian, 2000, p. 288)
This was to result in a growing discontent with