In the OTL 1968, the North Vietnamese launched the Tet Offensive. The North put all their cards on the table and launched a massive offensive (the largest military action in the war up to that point, I believe) across the South in order to strike a decisive blow against the South and spark a general uprising. The US and South Vietnamese, after being caught off guard, managed to beat back the offensive, inflicting massive casualties which severely damaged the North Vietnamese military. But, the public face of it bolstered the view that Vietnam was a war the United States was not winning.
However, in our Alternate 1968, the United States has not Americanized the war as Johnson did in the OTL. The United States does not commit it's military to fighting the war or take over responsibility for the war (though perhaps there are some secret special ops missions here and there), it simply follows a policy of aiding and supplying. The Vietnam war is a conflict between the North and the South, both sides getting the aid and support of the superpowers, but without the superpowers making the war their own.
Now, let's say the North Vietnamese launch the Tet Offensive in this scenario. What happens?
However, in our Alternate 1968, the United States has not Americanized the war as Johnson did in the OTL. The United States does not commit it's military to fighting the war or take over responsibility for the war (though perhaps there are some secret special ops missions here and there), it simply follows a policy of aiding and supplying. The Vietnam war is a conflict between the North and the South, both sides getting the aid and support of the superpowers, but without the superpowers making the war their own.
Now, let's say the North Vietnamese launch the Tet Offensive in this scenario. What happens?