HIS 4775

The Vietnam War: An American and Vietnamese Ordeal

Fall 2004/ MW, 3-4:15
Dr. Edmund F. Wehrle


 

The Instructor:

Dr. Edmund F. Wehrle
2576 Coleman Hall
581-6372
cfefw@eiu.edu
Office hours:  10-11 MWF and by appointment

Course Description:
Twenty years after the fall of Saigon, the Vietnam War remains a painful topic for Americans.  Historian Louis Galambos recently called the war the “single most costly policy mistake in American history.”  Today’s students—often born a decade after the end of the war—hear incessantly about Vietnam, yet know little of the issues and events that contributed to the traumatic episode.  This course will examine the war from its roots in French colonialism, through the fall of Saigon, to the impact of the conflict on American politics, economics, and culture.  Every attempt will be made to present the war in its international context, as both a Vietnamese and American ordeal.   Each session shall offer a standard lecture, discussion, and short, in-class presentations by students on major figures from the period.

Readings :
Sheehan, A Bright, Shinning Lie
McMahon, Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War
Moore, We Were Soldiers Once…
Roberts and Olson, My Lai: A History with Documents
Handouts and other material may supplement the class readings.

Class Meetings:
 
Week of August 23
Indochina: Colonialism, Nationalism, and Revolution
McMahon, Chapter 2; Sheehan, 1-125

Week of August 30
Cold War and the first Vietnam War
McMahon, Chapter 3; Sheehan, 129-172
Student Presentation Topics: Vo Nguyen Giap, Virginia Thompson
Paper Assignment #1 Due

Week of  September 9
Diem and Nation-Building
McMahon, Chapter 4; Sheehan, 173-199
Student Presentation Topics: General John  O’Daniel (and the American Friends of Vietnam), Wolf Ladejinsky

Week of September 13
Crises in Laos and Saigon
McMahon, Chapter 5; Sheehan, books 3&4
Student Presentation Topics: Roger Hilsman, David Halberstam

Week of September 20
LBJ and Intervention
McMahon, Chapter 6; Moore, We Were Soldiers Once
Student Presentation Topics: Walt Whitman Rostow, General Duong Van “Big” Minh

Week of September 27
Fighting the War
McMahon, Chapter 7
Student Presentation Topics: Philip Caputo, Ron Kovic

Week of October 4
Tet!
McMahon, Chapters 8&9
Student Presentation Topics: General Nugyen Loan, Clark Clifford

Week of October 11
Tet (cont.) and Midterm
Student Presentation Topic: General William Westmoreland

Week of October 18
The Vietnamese at War
McMahon, Chapter10; Sheehan, book 6
Student Presentation Topics: Truong Nhu Tang, Tuong Dinh Dzu

Week of October 25
Vietnamization and Nixon
McMahon, Chapter 11
Student Presentation Topics: Melvin Laird, Ellsworth Bunker

Week of November 1
My Lai: A Discussion
Olson and Roberts, My Lai: A History with Documents
Student Presentation Topics: Sy Hersh,  Senator William Fulbright
Paper Assignment #3 Due

Week of November 8
The Peace Movement
McMahon, Chapter 12
Student Presentation Topics: Jane Fonda, Benjamin Spock

Week of November 15
John Paul Vann and the Vietnam War
Sheehan, book 7
Student Presentation Topics: Neil Sheehan, Douglas Ramsey

Week of November 29
The Fall of Saigon
McMahon, Chapter 14
Student Presentation Topics: Frank Snepp, Tiziano Terzani

Week of December 6
Unending Debate
McMahon, Chapter 15
Student Presentation Topics: Colin Powel (Powel Doctrine), Robert McNamara (post-1968)
Paper Assignment #4 Due



Assignments:
 
Four papers, a midterm, and a final exam.  In addition, students are expected to attend class (without exception), be attentive, ask questions (any challenges to the instructor's interpretations will be especially welcome), and participate actively—especially during class discussions and debates.  Ten percent of the final grade is based on participation. If you have a documented disability, please let me know by the end of the first week of classes so that I may make appropriate accommodations. The writing assignments are as follows:

1) A short in-class biographical presentation (4-5 minutes maximum)—followed by a five page biographical paper—clearly situating your subject in historical context (explaining his/her significance to war). Due one week after presentation.

2) What was official American policy toward Indochina in the late 1940s? Based on your reading of the documents and articles in Chapter 5 of the McMahon book, what concerns guided U.S. policymakers in their approach to Southeast Asia?  (Due September 1)

3) What caused the My Lai massacre? (Due November 1)

4) Neil Sheehan titled his book A Bright, Shining Lie. What was this great “lie” and to what extent is Sheehan’s case convincing? (Due Dec 6) With the approval of the instructor, students may substitute a paper topic of their own choosing.*

*In lieu of this assignment, graduate students will prepare a research paper (topic to be chosen in conjunction with instructor).  An initial research proposal with bibliography will be due by mid-October.



Grading:
 
Paper 1 10%
Paper 2 10%
Paper 3 10%
Paper 4 20%
Midterm 20%
Participation 10%
Final Exam 20%