 According to General Trần Văn Trà , the new military head of COSVN , the offensive was to have three distinct phases : Phase I , scheduled to begin on 30 January , would be a countrywide assault on the cities , conducted primarily by Viet Cong forces . Concurrently , a propaganda offensive to induce ARVN troops to desert and the South Vietnamese population to rise up against the government would be launched . If outright victory was not achieved , the battle might still lead to the creation of a coalition government and the withdrawal of the Americans . If the general offensive failed to achieve these purposes , follow @-@ up operations would be conducted to wear down the enemy and lead to a negotiated settlement ; Phase II was scheduled to begin on 5 May , and Phase III on 17 August . 
