Reference no: EM132187235
The Tet Offensive by North Vietnam and the Viet Cong; one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War, began on January 30, 1968, by forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam against the forces of the South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam, the United States Armed Forces, and their allies.
During late summer and fall of 1967 U.S. intelligence agencies noticed a build-up of forces in South Vietnam. By mid-December, mounting evidence convinced many in Washington and Saigon that something big was underway.
On 20 December, Gen. Westmoreland, the senior U.S. officer in Vietnam, cabled the White House that he expected the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese "to undertake an intensified countrywide effort, perhaps a maximum effort, over a relatively short period of time." Despite all the warning signs, however, the allies were still surprised by the scale and scope of the offensive.
The American people were shocked. Support for President Johnson's re-election campaign slipped.
His approval rating fell dramatically. The president announced to the nation that he would not seek re-election in March 1968.
The Republican candidate, Richard Nixon, won the 1968 election. Republicans would go to win five out of the next six elections.