Declassified CIA documents on the Vietnam War - University Library

Document abstracts from U.S. Declassified Documents Online are included with permission from the Gale Group. U.S. Declassified Documents Online requires a subscription to access. Current USask library patrons can use their NSID and password to access the collection through our subscription. The USask Library cannot provide access to full-text documents for anyone outside our institution. Check with your local library to see if they subscribe.

Full-text documents may be available online from Texas Tech University's Virtual Vietnam Archive.

Learn more about the project: Lam, Vinh-The, and Darryl Friesen. "A Web-based Database of CIA Declassified Documents on the Vietnam War." Online 28, no. 4 (2004): 31-35.

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Title:

Situation appraisal : the Viet Cong winter-spring campaign

Date of Creation:

July 12, 1968

Date of Declassification:

September 19, 1996

Type of Document:

Intelligence information cable

Level of Classification:

NOT GIVEN

Status of Copy:

SANITIZED

Pagination, Illustration:

23 p.

Abstract:

The enemy's winter-spring campaign, covering the period October to June, came to an end with the enemy's offensive momentum blunted and most of its major objectives unachieved. Its shift in strategy from a protracted war to one seeking a quick victory in the urban areas was an effort to reverse unfavorable military and political trends which had developed prior to mid-1967. The campaign, which was supposed to have led to a decisive victory and the establishment of a Communist-controlled government, was based on a miscalculation by the enemy of its own and allied military capabilities and the degree of support it would get from the South Vietnamese people. The attacks on the cities, highlighted by the Tet Offensive, were disastrous for the enemy in terms of manpower but gave it an impressive psychological victory. Despite the military setback, the campaign yielded some significant political gains, including an extension of Viet Cong (VC) control over rural areas and population, and the establishment of a rudimentary government structure. The VC appear to have lost ground in the contest for the allegiance of the people, while the Government of South Vietnam has been stimulated to improve its effectiveness and its image, and strengthen and improve its armed forces. Both sides have achieved successes and failures. Indications are that the enemy intends to pursue the same strategy during the forthcoing summer-autumn campaign.

Declassified Documents Reference System Location:

1997-1845