January 31, 1968
Political Offensive
Works on political military aspects of the Tet Offensive
Database labels: Political Offensive
Vietnam War authority guide
Tet Offensive 1968: Battles, Political Impact and Vietnam War Timeline
The Tet Offensive was a coordinated series of communist attacks across South Vietnam beginning during the lunar new year period in 1968. North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces struck cities, military installations and provincial centers, including major fighting in Saigon and Hue.
Although communist forces suffered heavy battlefield losses in many engagements, the offensive had a profound political and psychological effect, particularly in the United States. It intensified debate over official assessments of progress and became a major turning point in public perceptions of the war.
24 matching database rows23 consolidated chronology entries1968Key people: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Vo Nguyen Giap, Ho Chi-Minh, Xuan Lam Hoang
People in the records
Lyndon Baines Johnson, Vo Nguyen Giap, Ho Chi-Minh, Xuan Lam Hoang, Le Duan, Nguyen Ngoc Loan, Michael Stewart, Leonid Brezhnev
Places in the records
Saigon, Vietnam, Hanoi, Hue, London, Moscow, United States of America, Washington
How duplicates are handled
Near-identical rows with the same date and place are consolidated for this page. The underlying database records remain unchanged and searchable on the main Vietnam War page.
Consolidated database chronology
Timeline of related events
Chronology is ordered by year, month and day where those fields are present.
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive
Launches the Tet Offensive. Launches the offensive during the Tet truce while the south celebrates New Year. 70,000 troops attack 100 cities
Database labels: Tet Offensive
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive
Associated with overall North Vietnamese military leadership during Tet
Database labels: Tet Offensive
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive
4,000 troops reach Saigon but the offensive is routed a month later
Database labels: Tet Offensive
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive
Commands US forces during the Tet Offensive
Database labels: Tet Offensive
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive
An offensive launched by the North Vietnamese to overthrow the South Vietnamese Government
Database labels: Tet Offensive
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive
Communist forces attack cities and provincial capitals during Tet
Database labels: Tet Offensive
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive Coordination
Helps coordinate the high command context for the Tet Offensive
Database labels: Tet Offensive Coordination
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive Diplomacy
Handles British diplomacy after the Tet Offensive reshapes public debate
Database labels: Tet Offensive Diplomacy
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive Response
Responds to the Tet Offensive while sustaining Soviet support for Hanoi
Database labels: Tet Offensive Response
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive Response
Responds to the Tet Offensive and mounting questions about US strategy
Database labels: Tet Offensive Response
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive Strategy
Backs the Tet Offensive as a decisive political and military blow
Database labels: Tet Offensive Strategy
January 31, 1968
Tet Offensive Strategy
Backs the general offensive and uprising strategy for Tet
Database labels: Tet Offensive Strategy
January 31, 1968
Tet Response
Leads the South Vietnamese government during the Tet Offensive
Database labels: Tet Response
February 1, 1968
Saigon Execution
Executes a Viet Cong prisoner during the Tet Offensive, captured in Eddie Adams's photograph
Database labels: Saigon Execution · 2 related database rows consolidated
March 1968
Tet Aftermath
Assesses losses and political impact after the Tet Offensive
Database labels: Tet Aftermath
March 1968
Tet Offensive
The Tet offensive is contained by the US at the cost of 165,000 civilian lives
Database labels: Tet Offensive
March 1968
Tet Offensive
The Tet offensive is contained by the U.S. at the cost of 165,000 civilian lives. The North Vietnamese offensive is repelled but this leads to anti-war protests
Database labels: Tet Offensive
1968
Battle of Hue
Commands communist forces in the northern battlefield during the Tet Offensive
Database labels: Battle of Hue
1968
Capture of Hue
Leads the South Vietnemese capture of Hue during the Tet Offensive
Database labels: Capture of Hue
1968
Election
The Tet Offensive results in Johnson having to bow out of the Presidential elections
Database labels: Election
1968
Offensive
Leads the South Vietnemese capture of Hue during the Tet Offensive
Database labels: Offensive
1968
Tet Offensive
The Tet offensive is contained by the U.S. at the cost of 165,000 civilian lives. The North Vietnamese offensive is repelled but this leads to anti-war protests. The Tet Offensive results in Johnson having to bow out of the Presidential elections. Cities such as Kontum, My Tho, Ben Tre & Hue are destroyed during fighting
Database labels: Tet Offensive
Sources and historical verification
This authority page consolidates World History Database records into a readable chronology. The database rows are research-index entries; important claims should be checked against primary documents and specialist histories.
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Provenance
Compiled and edited by the World History Database from structured historical records. This page consolidates 24 matching rows into 23 chronology entries to reduce duplicate and near-duplicate display. Last reviewed 2026-10-06.