Page 474 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

in the case of Quang Ngai), Political cadre6 in seeking to fornent an
uprising were relying on the troops while the troops were relying on
a political success.
Thus, the general offensive strategy of the enerny had
been conceived beyond the tactical capabilities of the Cornrnunist
units in South Vietnarn who were but guerilla units unable to cope with
conventional warfare facing an opponent arrny with strong supporting
{irepower.

AII that the general offensive was able to achieve was
a propaganda irnpact and confusion, death and destruction arnong the
urban population, for which the C ornrnunists had to pay a high price
in hurnan lives and weapons,

C. - POLITICAL

The Viet Cong created a new political organization
called the rrAlliance of National, Dernocratic and Peace{ul Forcesrt,
also called Front Nurnber Two, Why ? According to Huynh Tuong'
a Khanh Hoa provincial political corrrrnissioner who was arrested in
Nhatrang during the Tet offensive, stated that even high-ranking VC
cadre in the South did not understand this new rnove. They contended
that the rrNational Liberation Frontrr had been conducting the war
against the Arnerican irnperialists and the Saigon regirne in the narne
of the people of South Vietnarn since the end of 1960, and there was
no reason for substituting it with another front. What was harder
for thern to understand about the forrnation of the Alliance was the
{act that the NLF had been expanded since late 1967 to include rnore
elernents as indicated by a change in its name (1).

The issue was quite embrassing for high-ranking Com-
munist cadre who had to try to explain the new rnove. As the narne
rrLiberation Frontrr, had been farniliar to the people and had brought
sorne significance to the struggle in South Vietnarn despite it being
actually supported by the North Vietnarnese Corornunists in a war of
aggression against the S:uth. There{ore, why change the narne.

But Nortlr vietnarn had a diJferent view point. Con-
vinced tbat the 1968 general offensive would lead to a final victory

(1) Frorn trLiberation Front of South Vietnamt' to I'National Liberation
Front of South Vietnarnrr.

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