Which caught the united states by surprise in 1968, in the midst of the vietnam war? a. the tet offensive attacks b. the gulf of tonkin incident c. the use of agent orange d. the overthrow of president diem

A. the Tet Offensive attacks

The Vietnam War and the U.S. involvement in the war began in 1954. The cause of the war revolved around America’s belief that communism was threatening to expand all over the south-east.

In the middle of the war, on January 31, 1968, the United States was caught by surprise. The Tet Offensive mounted a  major strike and gained victory for South Vietnam.

The answer is A. the Tet Offensive attacks.

Explanation:

- "the civil rights movements"

- "following the american civil war and abolition of slavery, the united states entered a period known as reconstruction, during which black americans continued to suffer from disenfranchisement, racial segregation, and economic oppression. beginning in the early 1950's, black americans launched a series of major campaigns of civil resistance, emphasizing the need for nonviolent protests and civil disobedience."

"such as the montgomery bus boycott of 1955-56, a campaign launched by rosa parks against the policy of racial segregation of the public transit system in alabama. “sit-ins” became popular across the american south, particularly in greensboro, north carolina, increase national sentiment."

- "the counterculture movement"

- "counterculture began to develop in the united states following the rise of conformity in american culture during the 1950s. by 1963, youth, particularly those of the white middle class, began rejecting the cultural standards and normality of their parents, opting for progressive attitudes instead. the movement gained momentum as the civil rights movement became increasingly successful and as the u.s. military intervention of vietnam began to take a negative turn."

"hippie counterculture moved further into popular culture following the summer of love in 1967 when thousands of people came together in the haight-ashbury neighborhood of san francisco. along with greenwich village in new york city, haight-ashbury became a hub for the counterculture movement."