Final answer:
The peak in the number of deaths in Vietnam coincided with the Tet Offensive in January 1968, which was both a military and psychological turning point in the Vietnam War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The number of deaths in Vietnam reached a peak in the same year as the Tet Offensive, a significant event during the Vietnam War. The Tet Offensive began on January 30, 1968, and was a series of surprise attacks by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces against South Vietnamese and U.S. targets. This included over a hundred cities and military bases, even temporarily breaching the U.S. embassy in Saigon. The offensive led to heavy casualties on both sides, particularly the Vietcong, with nearly half of the estimated 80,000 participating VC killed, captured, or wounded.
Despite being a military failure for the Vietcong, the Tet Offensive had a profound psychological impact on American public opinion. Many Americans saw the intensity and scale of the offensive as evidence that the Johnson administration's positive portrayal of the war situation was inaccurate. As a result, the Tet Offensive is often seen as a turning point in the war, leading to increased opposition in the U.S. to the conflict and President Johnson's decision to begin peace talks later that year.