Tet (Part One): The Battle of Hue

In the early hours of January 31st, 1968, communist forces attacked more than a hundred cities and towns across South Vietnam at once. In Hue, the old imperial capital, they stayed for four weeks. When the city was retaken, mass graves held the bodies of at least 2,800 civilians.

Time Period Covered: 1968

What did the Tet Offensive achieve? How was the Battle of Hue waged? Why were almost 3,000 people murdered by the Viet Cong?

This episode covers the Tet Offensive of early 1968. Lachlan links the media coverage of the event, with the extreme scenes in Saigon, to the reality of the offensive and what the communists hoped to achieve. In Hue, perhaps the most stunning battle of the offensive took place, as for four weeks the city was occupied by the NVA and NLF. During this time, as a brutal campaign of house-to-house combat took place, the communists embarked upon a reign of terror to reshape the city they had taken.

Sources

Edward Miller The Vietnam War: A Documentary Reader
Nha Ca Mourning Headband For Hue
The Vietnam War Geoffrey War and Ken Burns
The Vietnam War Mark Atwood Lawrence
Vietnam Max Hastings
The Viet-Cong Strategy of Terror Douglas Pike
Hue Mark Bowden