The World History Database contains 111 Vietnam/Indochina records dated 1968. After consolidating near-identical rows that describe the same dated event, this year hub presents 97 distinct chronology entries. Frequently represented events include Tet Offensive, Bombing of Vietnam, Demonstrations, Peace, My Lai Intervention. Frequently represented people include Lyndon Baines Johnson, Ho Chi-Minh, William Westmoreland, Sihanouk, Vo Nguyen Giap.
Tet Offensive, Bombing of Vietnam, Demonstrations, Peace, My Lai Intervention, Bombing of Kampuchea, Lima Site 85 Crisis
Lyndon Baines Johnson, Ho Chi-Minh, William Westmoreland, Sihanouk, Vo Nguyen Giap, Cyrus Vance, Henry Alfred Kissinger
Saigon, Washington, Vietnam, Hue, Khe Sanh, My Lai, Hanoi
At a White House conference on crime, singer and actress Eartha Kitt denounces the Vietnam War to Lady Bird Johnson while attending a "ladies lunch"
Battle of Khe Sanh: one of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins, ending on April 8
PAVN pressure around Khe Sanh diverts American attention before Tet
Orders Operation Niagra after the Viet Cong strke Khe Sanh
Works on political military aspects of the Tet Offensive
Takes part in the South Vietnamese leadership response to Tet
Commands US II Field Force elements defending the Saigon region during Tet
Directs communist forces in the southern theater during Tet
Commands US forces as communist attacks hit cities across South Vietnam
Launches the Tet Offensive. Launches the offensive during the Tet truce while the south celebrates New Year. 70,000 troops attack 100 cities
Associated with overall North Vietnamese military leadership during Tet
4,000 troops reach Saigon but the offensive is routed a month later
Commands US forces during the Tet Offensive
An offensive launched by the North Vietnamese to overthrow the South Vietnamese Government
Communist forces attack cities and provincial capitals during Tet
Helps coordinate the high command context for the Tet Offensive
Handles British diplomacy after the Tet Offensive reshapes public debate
Responds to the Tet Offensive while sustaining Soviet support for Hanoi
Responds to the Tet Offensive and mounting questions about US strategy
Backs the Tet Offensive as a decisive political and military blow
Backs the general offensive and uprising strategy for Tet
Leads the South Vietnamese government during the Tet Offensive
The North Koreans capture USS Pueblo, Johnson sends 26 more B-52s to the Pacific
McNamara approves a sortie rate of 1,200 effective from 1st Feb
Executes a Viet Cong prisoner during the Tet Offensive, captured in Eddie Adams's photograph
Takes the photograph of Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a prisoner in Saigon
Commands South Vietnamese forces during the battle to retake Hue
Civil rights disturbances occur at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Broadcasts a widely noted assessment after reporting from Vietnam following Tet
Broadcasts a commentary saying the war appears stalemated
Broadcasts that the Vietnam War appears stalemated after visiting Vietnam
The monthly sortie rate is increased to 1,800
The Viet Cong are driven back from Saigon
Killed after helping rescue other personnel during the fall of Lima Site 85
Hmong and US-linked forces lose the strategic radar site.
Faces the loss of the secret US radar site at Phou Pha Thi.
Loses a radar support site used for air operations over Laos.
Challenges Johnson's Vietnam policy in the Democratic presidential primary
Enters the presidential race while criticizing Vietnam policy
A massacre by US troops, allegedly under the orders of Lt Calley
Helps rescue civilians during the My Lai massacre
Intervenes to protect Vietnamese civilians during the My Lai massacre
Helps Hugh Thompson protect civilians at My Lai
Leads a platoon involved in the My Lai massacre
A demonstration in London's Grosvenor Square against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War leads to violence; 91 people are injured, 200 demonstrators arrested
In ongoing campus unrest, Howard University students protesting the Vietnam War, the ROTC program on campus and the draft, confront Gen. Lewis Hershey, then head of the U.S. Selective Service System
Announces a partial bombing halt and says he will not seek reelection
Announces cessation of bombing north of the Twentieth parallel to negotiate a solution
Assesses losses and political impact after the Tet Offensive
The Tet offensive is contained by the US at the cost of 165,000 civilian lives
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
Operation Pegasus begins to relieve the Marine base at Khe Sanh.
The Viet Cong try to capture a 6,000 man U.S. base with a force of 40,000. The Viet Cong lose 10,000 & are defeated
Over 100,000 begin an offensive against communist forces in 11 provinces around Saigon
Meets Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin & proposes a negotiating channel with North Vietnam
Peace talks begin in Paris with North Vietnamese officials
The bombing of Kampuchea is only officially acknowledged in 1973. Exposes the secret bombings of Kampuchea
Handles Soviet diplomacy as US-North Vietnamese talks open in Paris
Allows the American embassy in Phnom Penh to reopen
Appointed Commander of the US forces in Vietnam
Replaces William Westmoreland as commander of MACV
Appointed CINCPAC
Says China will not be invaded by Russia which is "saber rattling"
Preconditions to cease bombing are made informal, they are still rejected
The Vietcong do not agree to negotiation conditions. The US announces a cessation of bombing & that negotiations will begin
Announces negotiations will begin, 5 days before the presidential election. Announces bombing in North Vietnam will stop
Announces negotiations will begin, 5 days before the presidential election
Announces negotiations will begin, 5 days before the presidential election
Calls a complete halt to the bombing of North Vietnam during diplomatic talks
Calls a complete halt to the bombing of North Vietnam during diplomatic talks
Brought to a halt, emphasis is placed on the trail network in Laos
Withdraws from Vietnam without "defeat" by improving relations with China & Russia
A message is sent to Hanoi indicating an interest in a peace settlement
Commands South Vietnamese forces during the battle to retake Hue
Commands communist forces in the northern battlefield during the Tet Offensive
The US bombs what it believes are communist HQ in Kampuchea
Sent as US representitive to propose bombing cessation but conditions are rejected
Announces the cessation of bombing North of the 19th parallel in Vietnam
The Vietcong capture Hue & massacre the local population with "blood-debt-lists"
Leads the South Vietnemese capture of Hue during the Tet Offensive
The U.S. has lost over 31,000 lives & are losing 300 per week
Discusses US access to Kampuchea if it is invaded by North Vietnam with Sihanouk
The Tet Offensive results in Johnson having to bow out of the Presidential elections
Under Gelb's direction the project is organized as a forty-seven-volume classified historical study.
Commands the 559th Transportation Group responsible for the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Sensors are dropped on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, activity triggers off bombing raids
The US continuously bombs communist sanctuaries
By the end of 1968 550,000 are stationed in Vietnam
Leads the South Vietnemese capture of Hue during the Tet Offensive
Sent as representitive to forward proposals to cease bombing, conditions are rejected
Demands as a precondition of peace talks the US cease all bombing & acts of war
McNamara neglected to inform either President Lyndon Johnson or Secretary of State Dean Rusk about the study. One report claimed that McNamara planned to give the work to his friend Robert F. Kennedy, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968. McNamara later denied this, although he admitted that he should have informed Johnson and Rusk
Gelb supervises compilation of analytical studies and supporting government documents into the multi-volume Vietnam history.
Gelb's organization assembles roughly seven thousand pages of analysis and supporting documents for the completed study.
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
Appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the Army
Nixon implements a policy of Vietnamization that aims to gradually withdraw US troops while expanding the combat role of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) so that it would be capable of independently defending South Vietnam
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.
This year page is generated from World History Database records for 1968. Near-identical rows sharing date and place context are consolidated for display while the original database remains unchanged. Last reviewed 2026-10-06.