Admission requirements
Students should have successfully completed both second-year seminars, one of which is part of the same specialisation as the present third-year seminar.
Description
America’s thirty-year involvement in Vietnam failed to prevent the unification of that country under Communist leadership. This seminar examines the course of America’s intervention in Vietnam under Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. Students will analyze the foreign policy background as well as the military and political aspects of the war. Other topics include the role of the news media in reporting the war and the influence of the peace movement in opposing it. In addition to secondary works, students will use primary sources throughout the course. Film and literary sources will provide additional insights.
Course objectives
The student can:
devise and conduct research of limited scope, including
- identifying relevant literature and select and order them according to a defined principle
- organising and using relatively large amounts of information
- an analysis of a scholarly debate
- placing the research within the context of a scholarly debate
write a problem solving essay and give an oral presentation after the format defined in the Themacolleges, including
- using a realistic schedule of work
- formulating a research question and subquestions
- formulating a well-argued conclusion
- giving and receiving feedback
- responding to instructions of the lecturer
reflect on the primary sources on which the literature is based
select and use primary sources for their own research
analyse sources, place and interpret them in a historical context
The student has:
Knowledge and insight in the main concepts, the research methods and methodology of the historical discipline;
Knowledge and insight in the main concepts, research methods and techniques of the specialisation, more specifically of theories of American exceptionalism; and the analysis of historiografical and intellectual debates;
Course specific objectives:
The student will gain insight and knowledge into:
The relationship between the United States and the rest of the world
The concept of “American exceptionalism,” especially as it relates to foreign policy
How foreign policy is formed, and the relationship between foreign policy and public opinion
The course will sharpen the student’s ability:To employ both traditional (print, film) and modern (digital) sources
To formulate and clearly express logical arguments in English (seminar paper/essay) and (optional) Dutch (essay).
To reflect critically upon the relationship between differing interpretations of the Vietnam War and ethical/political values (historical relativism)
To understand the contemporary relevance of the subject matter, especially as it relates to American foreign policy.
Timetable
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Course Load
Total course load: 280 hours
Compulsory class attendance: 28
Compulsory weekly reading: 140
Research and writing of essay : 80
Preparation of seminar presentation: 32
Assessment method
Class discussion and participation: 10%
Essay (approx. 7.000 words): 70%
Seminar presentation: 20%
These requirements, indicated between brackets or in italics, are designed to assess the following course objectives:
The student can:
devise and conduct research of limited scope (essay)
write a problem solving essay and give a seminar presentation after the format defined in the Themacolleges, including
- using a realistic schedule of work
- formulating a research question and subquestions
- formulating a well-argued conclusion
- giving and receiving feedback
- responding to instructions of the lecturer
reflect on the primary sources on which the literature is based (class discussion; essay)
select and use primary sources for their own research (essay)
analyse sources, place and interpret them in a historical context (class discussion; essay)
The student has:
Knowledge and insight in the main concepts, the research methods and methodology of the historical discipline (class discussion; essay)
Knowledge and insight in the main concepts, research methods and techniques of the specialisation, more specifically of theories of American exceptionalism; and the analysis of historiografical and intellectual debates (class discussion; essay)
The relationship between the United States and the rest of the world (class discussion)
The concept of “American exceptionalism,” especially as it relates to foreign policy (class discussion)
How foreign policy is formed, and the relationship between foreign policy and public opinion (class discussion; essay)
To employ both traditional (print, film) and modern (digital) sources (essay; seminar presentation)
To formulate and clearly express logical arguments in English and (optional) Dutch (English: seminar presentation; essay. Dutch: essay)
To reflect critically upon the relationship between differing interpretations of te Vietnam War and ethical/political values (class discussion; essay)
To understand the contemporary relevance of the subject matter, especially as it relates to American foreign policy (class discussion; essay).
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average combined with the additional requirement that the essay has to be sufficient.
The seminar presentation can only be retaken in exceptional circumstances. For essays, the deadline for resubmission can be found in Overzicht deadlines van de Opleiding Geschiedenis (zie website Geschiedenis – roosters – overzicht deadlines).
Blackboard
Blackboard Contains syllabus, articles, documents, and links to websites.
Reading list
Students must buy the following books, and ensure that they have read Young, before the start of classes.
Michael Hunt, A Vietnam War Reader (2010)
Marilyn Young, The Vietnam Wars, 1945-1990 (1992)
Michael Lind, Vietnam: The Necessary War (1999)
Registration
through uSis.