Why was the Tet Offensive a turning point?

Why did the Tet Offensive mark a major turning point in the Vietnam War?

• Answer:

  It was both the first open, full scale attack by the Vietcong and NVA, and it demoralized America (despite the fact they'd won an overwhelming military victory) because it showed that they'd been less effective against the Vietcong and NVA than they thought, because America had presumed that her enemies were far too weakened to mount any major offensive. General Westmoreland declared that the Tet offensive was a major defeat for the Vietcong. From a military standpoint, he was right. The Vietcong lost about 32,000 soldiers during attacks. The United States and South Vietnam lost only 3,000 soldiers. The Tet offensive shattered America's confidence in the war. The Tet offensive lasted for a month.