Tet Offensive Begins

1968: The Tet Offensive was launched in Vietnam by the People's Army of Vietnam in the North and the National Liberation Front in the South. This was a large coordinated military campaign that involved operations throughout the country. The Vietnamese would suffer many casualties, and would lose the campaign. Nevertheless, while losing the battle, the Tet Offensive likely helped to win the war.

The US military was surprised and alarmed by the scale and coordination of the offensive. They had not previously believed the Vietnamese had such capabilities in terms of organization and support. The US public was shocked by news reports and public opinion about the war began to change. It became clear that the previous US strategy of a "war of attrition" could not be successful. Walter Cronkite famously responded:

We have been too often disappointed by the optimism of the American leaders, both in Vietnam and Washington, to have faith any longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest clouds [...] we are mired in a stalemate that could only be ended by negotiation, not victory.

Many historians now consider the Tet Offensive the turning point of the war. It led to a recognition by the US that a military victory was impossible, which did indeed lead to peace negotiations, the withdrawal of troops, and the end of the war.