help with paper on Tet Offensive, I'm looking for people who remember the way South Vietnamese viewe Options

[rosehips]

Hi all,
I'm writing a paper on the Tet Offensive, and I keep coming across contradictions (even within the same sources) as to the way South Vietnamese people viewed the communists in 1968. Some say that the communists were terribly feared, while others say that the NLF was popular among South Vietnamese and part of the reason the Americans underestimated the potential for NLF attack was because they didn't understand that. I realize the answer is probably that some of each existed, however, I'm wondering how those who remember that time saw it.

I'd really appreciate any help on this. If you can help, please tell me where you (or a relative who has spoken to you about this) were in 1968 and how you remember the general feeling was about the possibility of a commuist takeover. Was the NLF seen as representatives of the people or as a threat? Were the communists feared or was it more common for the Americans to be resented as imperialists, an extention of the French colonialists?

Please let me know if you wish for me to cite your name or cite you as anonymous.
ETA: Please let me know what profession you or your relative had, and whether you left Vietnam after 1975 or another point (due to the communist takeover? or another reason?)...

Thank you a million times in advance for any help.

- Sophia Martin

For more information about me:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sophia-Marti...15209797?ref=hl
http://twitter.com/sophiarosehips

This post has been edited by rosehips: Sep 18 2012, 04:30 PM

[Asianfrog]

Hi all,
I'm writing a paper on the Tet Offensive, and I keep coming across contradictions (even within the same sources) as to the way South Vietnamese people viewed the communists in 1968. Some say that the communists were terribly feared, while others say that the NLF was popular among South Vietnamese and part of the reason the Americans underestimated the potential for NLF attack was because they didn't understand that. I realize the answer is probably that some of each existed, however, I'm wondering how those who remember that time saw it.

I'd really appreciate any help on this. If you can help, please tell me where you (or a relative who has spoken to you about this) were in 1968 and how you remember the general feeling was about the possibility of a commuist takeover. Was the NLF seen as representatives of the people or as a threat? Were the communists feared or was it more common for the Americans to be resented as imperialists, an extention of the French colonialists?

Please let me know if you wish for me to cite your name or cite you as anonymous.
ETA: Please let me know what profession you or your relative had, and whether you left Vietnam after 1975 or another point (due to the communist takeover? or another reason?)...

Thank you a million times in advance for any help.

- Sophia Martin

For more information about me:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sophia-Marti...15209797?ref=hl
http://twitter.com/sophiarosehips

Hello rosehips ,
Oups, maybe it's way too late ! I may provide you some informations needed for your paper. People living in Saigon or other provincial cities feared a communist take -over because they had been brainwashed by governmental propaganda that would be a bloodshed . That was why the Têt attack had prompted my mother and my younger brothers to leave Vietnam for France.Since a martial law had been implemented ,I had to pass high school graduation to file for foreign studies in France in 1971. Those who were civil servants or soldiers had the same fear but not those coming from the countryside.
I recently read a comment that in the years after the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 peasants preferred to move to territories under communist control where they felt safer.
Hope that can help, Just ask me questions ,I'll try to answer.

[vietkent8888]

Of course, America and all her allies countries played major battles everywhere and alot were won even bombing the daylights out of Hanoi. South should've cleaned sweep across the vast land with a victory.

From the second North entered the south and into the south saigon government building it was game over. Easy question to ask what happens if the American and her allies didn't pull out and stayed for another 2 years, what would've happened?

[Asianfrog]

Of course, America and all her allies countries played major battles everywhere and alot were won even bombing the daylights out of Hanoi. South should've cleaned sweep across the vast land with a victory.

From the second North entered the south and into the south saigon government building it was game over. Easy question to ask what happens if the American and her allies didn't pull out and stayed for another 2 years, what would've happened?

!
Sorry facts do not live by the "IF" so do you and I.

[vietkent8888]

!
Sorry facts do not live by the "IF" so do you and I.

Oh don't get me wrong, the determination of the viet cong was very high and never had a slight thought of surrendering. Fact, is both side fought an epic campaign but why fall under people pressure due to a war that already cost so many lives so all those soldiers from especially the losing side was lost for nothing? what was gain? they wanted a democratic country in east/south east asia, they nearly had it, true? What was it again under 70,000 soldiers from the allies country died?

[Asianfrog]

Oh don't get me wrong, the determination of the viet cong was very high and never had a slight thought of surrendering. Fact, is both side fought an epic campaign but why fall under people pressure due to a war that already cost so many lives so all those soldiers from especially the losing side was lost for nothing? what was gain? they wanted a democratic country in east/south east asia, they nearly had it, true? What was it again under 70,000 soldiers from the allies country died?

Don't you worry Both two wars could have been prevented. Ho Chi Minh leaned to the US in 1945 but Truman and the hawks in Washington didn't trust him. And at the same time, the french in order to keep their colony , stressed on his cosyness with communism. The only ones who first lent a hand to Ho Chi Minh were some french socialists who ultimatly etablish the communist party.
Who do you mean by "they wanted a democratic country..." Have a look at the Philippines.

This post has been edited by Asianfrog: Jan 13 2013, 12:50 AM