The Year of the Monkey: Tet, America, and 1968

On January 30, 1968, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong made one of the most daring and unexpected attacks in American military history. The impact of this turning point in the Vietnam War had ramifications far beyond South East Asia. Dr. William Allison's fascination with the impacts of the Tet Offensive on the American Homeland and its politics led to his latest project, On Nostalgia's Alter: America 1968, to be published by the University Press of Kansas in 2014. In a lecture based on the book, Allison will outline the pivotal months surrounding Tet and place the attack in the context of its immediate impact on American socio-political events in 1968. The relative success of the Tet Offensive caused renewed opposition to the Vietnam War during the 1968 Presidential Campaign; leading President Lyndon Johnson to forgo reelection, and encouraging Robert Kennedy to announce his candidacy. Tragically, Kennedy's success in the democratic primary elections led to his assassination. From politics, assassinations, and conflicts to civil rights and pop culture, please join us for discussion on 1968 through the lens of the Tet Offensive, a turning point in American history.