Topics: History of Vietnam War Hist 5910-16097 TR 9:30am-10:45pm (LAR 216) Fall 2011 Department of History & Geography University of Central Oklahoma Dr. Xiao Bing Li, Professor of History Office: LAR 202G (phone: 974-5483) E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: M-F 9:00-9:30am, 11:10-12:00pm, MTWF 3:00-3:20pm, and by appointment

A. UCO Central Six Transformative Learning Objectives To meet the objectives in this class, students will: 1. Improve leadership skills by taking ownership for academic performance in an individualized and group setting. 2. Advance abilities to complete research by understanding that History is an inquiry based discipline. 3. Learn the definition of collegiality, translated in this class as service learning, by participating as peer mentor for multiple drafts of historical research papers. 4. Develop a fuller historical understanding of the interconnectedness of political, social, economic, and historical narratives to meet the standard of global and cultural competencies. 5. Achieve self-satisfaction through successful completion of this course. 6. Improve student health and wellness. This class will develop a fuller historical understanding of the interconnectedness of political, social, economic, and historical narratives to meet the standard of global and cultural competencies. B. Course Description and Objectives Once again Americans are focused on the war in Iraq, central to the congressional agenda and presidential election. Surely, it would appear, the current war against terrorism is totally unlike any other in our history. But is it really? Over forty years ago, the United States sent troops to Vietnam to check Communist aggression against the free world. The war undeclared, involved the Communist troops from South and North Vietnam, China, and the Soviet Union fighting the most modern and technologically superior nation in the world. It continued endlessly with fighting over the hills, villages, and rice paddies, and resulted in America’s withdrawal in 1973 and a Communist taking-over of the country in

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1975. It is timely during the on-going war in Iraq to look back at this bloody and unpopular American war in Asia, but in a totally different way. After the Cold War suddenly ended in 1990, there has been an increasing and keen interest in the mysterious and untold "view from the other side of the hill." This course will study the Vietnam War through historical origins, cultural background, government policy, and major military events. Its primary goal is to provide a new interpretation of these events to help students have a better understanding of international behavior and foreign policy issues and develop their professional skills in teaching and research of international relations in Southeast Asia from the end of World War II (WWII) to the early 1980s. It is a three semester-hour/credit graduate course A multi-national and cross-cultural interpretation of this sort involves some challenges for all participants. Here are some advance cues on what we are looking for in developing an analytical approach to a historical overview. We deal with three main approaches. The first approach involves asking about general patterns at key points. The patterns can be tested as a way of finding meaning and even predictive power in different civilizations. The second approach, the comparative approach, is vital in our analysis. It suggests breaking down the events into political, economic, social, and cultural categories. Each of these categories can be compared across space and time. We will also explore the factor of change over different time periods through the third approach. The division into major periods highlights the leading kinds of change we will be considering. A number of cases of the major events in Asian countries will be critiqued in order to identify generic problems of international relations in the Cold War.

C.

Textbook and Study Guide

This course relies on a well-written textbook, which is required for Hist 591016097 and available at the university bookstore and Thompson Bookstore: Walter LaFeber, America, Russia, and the Cold War; 1945-2006, tenth edition (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008). George Moss, Vietnam; An American Ordeal, sixth edition (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2010). Robert J. McMahon, ed., Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War, fourth edition (Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath, 2008).

D.

Grades and Requirements

This course will be run as a seminar where active and intelligent participation is mandatory. Regular daily reading and class meeting are essential. Discussion, presentation, and cultural activities will proceed along both practical and theoretical lines,

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with stimulations being conducted at intervals. Your grade for this course will depend on eight different areas, and will be weighted in the following manner: (1) Research topic description, 1-2 pages, typewritten, double-spaced, due in class September 6, worth 5 percent of your grade (2) Research bibliography, or a reading list, due September 20, worth 5 percent (3) Research literature review, 4-6 pages, due October 6, 10 percent (4) Research design, or research outline of your research project, 3-5 pages, Nov. 1, 15 percent (5) Oral presentation developed from your research, about 15-20 minutes in the class, individually scheduled during Nov. 17-Dec. 6, 15 percent (6) Research paper, about 16-20 pages, due in class by 12noon on December 13, 30 percent (7) Cultural activity participation, 10 percent (8) Group discussions and presentations, 10 percent In order to get a high participation grade in classroom activities, you will need to come to class every time during the activity period. You may make extra bonus point through your active participation.

E.

Class Outline and Assignments

1. Historical Background (1800-1945) Aug. 23

We will talk briefly about the upcoming seminar and about ourselves

Aug. 25

Vietnam: land, people, government, and languages Moss, Vietnam, ch. 1 McMahon, Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War, 1-15 Assignment: topic description

Aug. 30

France in Southeast Asia Moss, ch. 2 McMahon, 16-24 Assignment: research bibliography

Aug. 1

U.S. diplomacy before WWII LaFeber, America, Russia, and the Cold War, 1-19 McMahon, 25-46 Assignment: literature review

Sep. 6

Topic description due WWII in East Asia LaFeber, 19-31 and Moss, ch. 2

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2. The French-Indochina War (1946-1954) Sep. 8

Origins of the Cold War LaFeber, 32-78 McMahon, 47-57 Assignment: research outline

Sep. 13

U.S. containment policy toward East Asia LaFeber, 81-129 McMahon, 58-80 Assignment: oral presentation schedule

Sep. 15

The Soviet Union and China LaFeber, 131-148 McMahon, 81-92

Sep. 20

Research bibliography due France and crises in Southeast Asia Moss, ch. 2 Assignment: research paper

Sep. 22

Dien Bien Phu Moss, ch. 2 Culture: Buddhist monk (guest speaker)

Sep. 27

Geneva Conference Moss, ch. 2

3. The Civil Struggles (1954-63) Sep. 29

U.S. Asia Policy after Geneva LaFeber, 151-175 McMahon, 93-104

Oct. 4

South Vietnam Moss, ch. 3 McMahon, 104-111 Group discussion

Oct.6

Literature review due Viet Cong Moss, ch. 3 McMahon, 117-119

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Group discussion Oct. 11

Kennedy and South Vietnam LaFeber, 177-201 and Moss, ch. 4 McMahon, 120-134 Group presentation

Oct. 13

New crisis LaFeber, 203-230 and Moss, ch. 4 McMahon, 135-154 Culture: Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration

Oct. 18

Library research (No class, undergraduate students’ mid-term exam review)

Oct. 20-21

No class (Fall Break)

Oct. 25

Library research (No class, undergraduate students’ mid-term exam)

4. America’s Vietnam War (1963-1973) Oct. 27

Johnson’s war policy Moss, ch. 5 McMahon, 155-197 Culture: Vietnam veteran (guest speaker)

Nov. 1

Research design due "Tonkin Resolution" and Rolling Thunder McMahon, ch. 6 Moss, 174-204

Nov 3

“Limited War” Moss, ch. 6 McMahon, 236-273 Guest lecture: Dr. Stan Adamiak

Nov. 8

Tet Offensive Moss, ch. 8 McMahon, 274-314

Nov. 10

Anti-war movement Moss, ch. 7 McMahon, 401-436

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Nov. 15

One war, many flags Moss, ch. 9-10 McMahon, 315-356

Nov. 17

Graduate student presentation Nixon and the "Vietnamization" Moss, ch. 11 McMahon, 357-400

Nov. 22

Graduate student presentation Detente and peace negotiation LaFeber, 267-298 and Moss, ch. 11 McMahon, 437-475

5. The Cold War in Asia since Vietnam (1973-1990) Nov. 24

Graduate student presentation The Third Vietnam War (1973-75) Moss, ch. 12 McMahon, 476-511

Nov. 29

Graduate student presentation Vietnam after the war LaFeber, 299-342 and Moss, ch. 12-13 McMahon, 512-539

Dec. 1

Thanksgiving Holiday (No class)

Dec. 6

Graduate student presentation Conclusion: the end of the Cold War LaFeber, 345-368

Dec. 8

Editing the final version of the research paper (No class; undergraduate students’ final exam review)

Dec. 13

Research paper due (9:00am)

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Student Information Sheet and Syllabus Attachment

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