 In the days immediately preceding the offensive , the preparedness of allied forces was relatively relaxed . Hanoi had announced in October that it would observe a seven @-@ day truce from 27 January to 3 February for the Tet holiday , and the South Vietnamese military made plans to allow recreational leave for approximately half of its forces . General Westmoreland , who had already cancelled the truce in I Corps , requested that its ally cancel the upcoming cease @-@ fire , but President Thiệu ( who had already reduced the cease @-@ fire to 36 hours ) , refused to do so , claiming that it would damage troop morale and only benefit communist propagandists . 
