Page 478 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

All other enerny war cornrnuniques were of the sarne
line. All clairned big victories, with particular ernphasis on a final
victory described as within reach to boost the red soldiersr rnorale,

On 14 February 1968, rnarking the 7th anniversary of
the unification of the liberation forces in the South, Vo Nguyen Giap
declared:
rrLooking toward the South, our brother land, the great
war front of our nation, all the cadres and soldiers of the Vietnarn
Peoplers arrned forces swear to uphold the heroic, un{lexible, lasting
and creative spirit of cornbat as well as the valuable experiences of the
soldiers and people in the South, for a closer and rnore deterrnined
action in view of our {inal victory over the Arnericansrr.

A news bulletin issued on 13 February by the NLF news
agency announced that the Cornrnand of the Liberation forces in the
South had warrnly praised the various units involved in the general
offensive, with rnost of thern being awarded the Liberation Military
M edal.

The intenaity of the enernyr s victory broadcasts later
died down, and Liberation Radio returned to its usual thernes. The
Alliance of National, Dernocratic and Peaceful Forces was no longer
heard of. People in North Vietnarn and in Cornrnunist controlled areas
of the South began to realize that the general offensive had failed.
Critical views frorn the C ornrnunist carnp were heard for the first
tirne.

According to a dispatch frorn Hong Kong on Feb. 14,
Mao Tse Tung was not pleased with the C ornrnunist general offensive
in Vietnarn. He viewed it as not in accordance with his own doctrine
as it violated the basic rule of guerilLa warfare by attacking the cities.
Mao regarded the VC general offensive as a rnanifestation of adven-
turisrn whlch used to be the subject of the Red Chinars biggest ideo-
logical conflict before the Cultural Revolution. The conflict opposed
Mao and Ly Lap Tarn, a rnernber of the Chinese Cornrnunist Party
Central Executive Cornrnitteers Politburo who was in charge of the
Partyrs propaganda. Ly, who had the backing of aknost all the leaders
of international C ornrnunisrn, rnaintained that attacks against cities
and the establishrnent of city bases should be conducted at the sarne
tirne as guerilla warfare in the countryside.

The defeat of the C ornrnunist general offensive was a
great disappointrnent for the people of North Vietnarn, It caused rnuch

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