Editing Tet Offensive (section)

=== South Vietnam political context ===
Leading up to the Tet Offensive were years of marked political instability and a series of coups after the [[1963 South Vietnamese coup]]. In 1966, the leadership in South Vietnam, represented by the Head of State [[Nguyễn Văn Thiệu]] and Prime Minister [[Nguyễn Cao Kỳ]] were persuaded to commit to democratic reforms in an effort to stabilize the political situation at a [[Declaration of Honolulu, 1966|conference in Honolulu]]. Prior to 1967, the South Vietnamese constituent assembly was in the process of drafting a new constitution and eventual elections.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=October 5, 2017|title=50th Anniversary 1967 Election|url=https://vietnam.unsw.ADFA.Edu.au/50th-anniversary-south-Vietnams-1967-presidential-election/|access-date=|website=}}</ref> The political situation in South Vietnam, after the [[1967 South Vietnamese presidential election]], looked increasingly stable. Rivalries between South Vietnam's generals were becoming less chaotic, and Thiệu and Kỳ formed a joint ticket for the election. Despite efforts by North Vietnam to disrupt elections, higher than usual turnouts saw a political turning point towards a more democratic structure and ushered in a period of political stability after a series of coups had characterized the preceding years.<ref name=":1"/>

Protests, campaigning and the atmosphere of elections were interpreted by the [[Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam]] and [[Lê Duẩn]] as signs that the population would embrace a 'general uprising' against the government of South Vietnam. The Politburo sought to exploit perceived instability and maintain political weakness in South Vietnam.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-01-29|title=The Importance of the Vietnam War's Tet Offensive|url=https://warontherocks.com/2018/01/importance-vietnam-wars-tet-offensive/|access-date=2021-01-27|website=War on the Rocks}}</ref>