Easter Offensive - Definition and Overview

The Easter Offensive is the nickname of a major North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. The North Vietnamese offensive against the South began on Easter Sunday, 30 March 1972.

The North Vietnamese succeeded in forcing The South Vietnamese Army on the defensive in several parts of South Vietnam, notably by taking the provincial capital of Quang Tri on May 1, 1972, as well as key areas of The Central Highlands. However, with heavy US Air support (which also included heavy bombing of cities in North Vietnam) the South Vietnamese was able to halt the offensive, eventually retaking Quang Tri on September 16, 1972.

The offensive cost the lives of approximately 100,000 North Vietnamese and 30,000 South Vietnamese soldiers. The loss of life to civilian population was also heavy. Although the offensive did not accomplish the goals of inflicting a major defeat on the south Vietnamese Army, the heavy reliance on American air support and logistics on the part of The South Vietnamese was very obvious. The US policy-makers had no illusions about the ability of the South Vietnamese army to defeat a major offensive without US support. They were proved right by the eventual collapse of the south Vietnamese in 1975.