HIST 150 - American Involvement in Vietnam

3 Credits: (3 lecture)

Course Description
This course examines the events which led to the American involvement in Vietnam as well as the war in Vietnam itself and America’s prolonged withdrawal. The course will also examine the war’s effect on international relations as well as on the home front.

Text
Herring, George G. America’s Longest War. 6th ed. McGraw, 2020.

Karnow, Stanley. Vietnam: A History. New York: Penguin Books, 1997.

Objectives
The student will be able to:

A. Show knowledge of diplomacy involving Vietnam during the post-World War II period.

B. Show knowledge of the major battles as part of the American involvement in the Vietnam War.

C. Demonstrate an understanding of the Vietnam conflict in terms of the aspirations of the Vietnamese people.

D. Be able to identify major American political viewpoints in the development of our Vietnam policy.

Content
A. Introduction–Immediate Post-War Period, 1945-46.

B. America’s First Commitment–1956-1960.

C. Kennedy and Diem–1961-1963.

D. Escalation and Dissent Under Lyndon B. Johnson–1963-1965.

E. The Election of 1968.

F. Debate, Doubt, and De-escalation–1969-1973.

G. The Legacy of Withdrawal–1974 to the present.

Student Evaluation
Students will be evaluated by period quizzes, tests, and a final examination, as well as the research paper.

Bibliography
Appy, Christian G. Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1993.

Arnold, James R. The First Domino: Eisenhower, the Military, and America’s Intervention in Vietnam. New York: W. Morrow, 1991.