Major requirement: Global/Comparative History
The Vietnam War remains a challenging subject. The profound impact that it had on the major combatant nations (Vietnam and the United States) continued to be felt long after the war had concluded. This course examine the Vietnam War through many lenses – social, cultural, and political – in an effort to gain a holistic understanding of this important and defining historical experience. We will approach the subject from multiple perspectives: not only those of the major combatants but also those of other important “players” such as the People’s Republic of China, the Soviet Union, and the neighboring nations of Southeast Asia. In addition to a consideration of the war itself we will examine the causes of the conflict (including a discussion of French colonization, Japanese occupation, rising nationalism in Southeast Asia, and conflicting notions of Vietnamese nationalism), the war’s role in global politics and the Cold War, and its longterm consequences.
Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing