During 1968 the Vietnam War was a defining moment in American history, as due to the Tet Offensive, American morale regarding the war and President Johnson decreased, distrust in government increased, and the end of the Vietnam War seemed closer. This year was truly a turning point in American history; the three examples listed are just some of the reasons why. The Vietnam War in general changed the history of America, but the year 1968 especially affected American society. During this time, fear and suspicion were prevalent due to government decisions and battles taking place in Vietnam. On January 31, 1968, the Tet (Feldmeth) Offensive officially began. The offensive began on the first day of Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year holiday. The North Vietnamese armies surprised the American and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) armies as they attacked nearly every major city in South Vietnam (Battle of Khe Sanh). Although many of these attacks were resisted, Americans at home viewed the offensive as an American defeat. For the first time in history, the entire war was televised, allowing the American public to see everything that happened in Vietnam. When they saw the Tet Offensive, they realized that the power North Vietnam possessed was greater than they expected. While this lowered public opinion of the war, it also affected their trust in the government. Before this happened, military leaders like General Westmorland told Americans that the US Army had everything under control and other optimistic views of the war (What was the Tonkin Resolution?). This event proved contradictory to previous statements made about the war. This offensive also affected President Johnson. After the Tet Offensive, he lost popularity as Americans began to question Johnson and his presidency. His loss of popularity increased to such an extent that he ultimately decided to abandon the next presidential election altogether.