HI4330 The Vietnam Wars c.1945-2000

Module Organiser: Dr Susan Thelan
Duration: HIlary term
Contact hours: 2 hours per week
Weighting: 10 ECTS
Assessment: 20% essay, 80% examination

Wars, especially the conflicts in Vietnam following World War II, were not limited to military engagements. Taking a long view of the conflict, this module investigates the origins, evolution, conclusion and consequences of the US involvement in the Vietnam Wars. Among other topics, the module examines US co-operation with the French (the colonial power in Vietnam), military and political support for South Vietnam, domestic debates, presidential policies, and the ways in which the Vietnam Wars continue to influence US policies and culture. Students will analyse both contemporary and scholarly assessments of the conflict and its legacy, archival sources and cultural texts including films, music, fiction, photography, journalism, memorials, and other aspects of individual and collective memory.

The aim of this module is to analyse key developments in the history of the conflicts in Vietnam since 1945, through the study of primary and secondary sources

Bibliographical advice will be provided in the module handbook

Leaning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

• Analyse developments in the military, political and cultural history of the Vietnam wars, and of US involvement in Vietnam, since 1945
• Identify and locate relevant secondary literature
• Engage with relevant theoretical and critical approaches to the history of the Vietnam conflict and of US involvement in Vietnam
• Apply different techniques of evaluation and interpretation to relevant primary sources
• Critique relevant historiography in the light of primary sources
• Present and discuss analysis of questions relating to the post-1945 Vietnam wars
• Analyse the impact of the Vietnam Wars, including upon U.S. policies and culture