HIST 320
The Vietnam War (US) (WI)
Catalog Entry
HIST 320
The Vietnam War (US) (WI)
Three hours lecture: (3)
Prerequisite: Three hours of History at the 100 level.
History of the war covering the general background, French and American involvement,
and the present situation in southeast Asia. Focuses on military, diplomatic, and
domestic aspects of American involvement.
Note(s): Cultural or Behavioral Analysis designated course.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
1. Course Introduction
a. The early history of Vietnam
b. Vietnamese culture
c. French colonization
2. The First Indochina War, 1946-1954
a. Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh
b. French strategy and defeat
3. The War Through 1965
a. The Eisenhower years
b. The Kennedy years
c. America's commitment expands, 1964-1965
4. The War Expands, 1965-1969
a. The Tet Offensive
b. The role of the press in Vietnam
c. Homefront U.S.A.
d. The anti-war movement
5. Other Wars
a. Laos
b. Cambodia
1. The Vietnam War in Cambodia
2. The Khmer Rouge
6. American Withdrawal
a. Vietnamization, 1969-1972
b. The war crimes controversy
c. The 1972 Offensive
d. The peace negotiations and 1973 peace treaty
7. After the War
a. Vietnam after 1973
b. The Vietnam veteran
c. Lessons and legacies of Vietnam
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Although primarily a lecture course, class discussion is actively sought through discussion
exercises and historical simulations. Student interviews of Vietnam veterans, multi-media
presentations, and various written assignments are used to involve students in the
course material. In addition, outside speakers may appear before the class.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
1. Students will practice thinking critically and analytically about historical issues,
acquire a broader knowledge and deeper understanding of pertinent historical events
and processes, and cultivate a familiarity with the concepts of historical argument
and interpretation.
2. Students will develop disciplinary research skills by designing strategies to locate
and analyze primary and secondary source evidence, processing and organizing the resultant
data, and composing proper citation and bibliographical entries.
3. Students will apply their critical thinking, research, and compositional skills
to the creation and presentation of thesis driven essays that discuss, for example,
historical social, economic, political, and/or cultural developments and that address
issues such as the causes and consequences of historical change and continuity.
4. Students will gain a balanced and scholarly treatment of the Vietnam War.
Assessment Measures
Knowledge and understanding of the material covered in this course will be measured
using an array of assessment tools that may include, among other things, class attendance
and participation, written examinations, formal writing assignments of various types,
and informal writing assignments. All exercises are designed to expand the student's
ability to evaluate historical events and to develop his or her ability to compose
persuasive arguments.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
Date Action Reviewed by
October 2010 Reviewed and Approved by Sharon Roger Hepburn
04/2011
March 01, 2021