ABSTRACT
Lyndon Baines Johnson had a burning ambition. He hoped to achieve this by legislating into existence a far more caring and liberal society. Intelligence reports reaching the White House in late 1963 stressed the fragility of South Vietnam. Owing to his comparative lack of interest in reordering US foreign affairs, Johnson’s Vietnam policy followed the path set by the Kennedy administration. The Tet Offensive, so called because it took place during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year holiday, was a turning point in the war. Despite the dramatic impact of the Tet Offensive, it was a military disaster for the revolutionary forces. The only additional force to be sent to Vietnam was a contingent of 13,500 troops to support the reinforcements deployed immediately after the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive shook the American political system and redirected US involvement in South East Asia.
