The Tet offensive, January-April 1968

the long version

The 1968 Tet Offensive has been called the turning point of the Vietnam War. It was the first extensive effort by the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the United States. Officially the Tet Offensive was from January 30 to April 1. It began during the Tet holiday, the most sacred and important time of year for Vietnamese of all beliefs and social classes in both North and South Vietnam, which made possible the element of surprise. It was a brilliant plan: Simultaneously a strike was made against all major cities coupled with a push below the DMZ at the major US Marine Corps stronghold at Khe Sanh.