Spring 2000
VIETNAM: AMERICAN WATERSHED
HISTORY/POLITICAL SCIENCE 311W
Professor: Dr. Donald E. Wilson, DBH 114, 726-2005
Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday, 1:30 - 4:00 p.m.; Tuesday
& Thursday, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Course Description: This course is designed to cover the Vietnam
War from its cultural roots over 200 years ago through United States involvement,
1943-1973. The student also will understand the Vietnam conflict in context
with an evolving American society and culture from World War II through
the Persian Gulf crisis of 1991. Vietnam is both a result and a symptom
of the dramatic changes that the United States went through during those
years. Only by studying the Vietnam conflict can today's students understand the complex world in which they now live.
Textbooks:
Bender, David L., The Vietnam War: Opposing Viewpoints
Beesley, Stanley W., Vietnam: The Heartland Remembers
Moore, Harold G. and Galloway, Joseph L., We Were Soldiers Once
and Young
Course Objectives: Students will:
(1) Participate in the Vietnam conflict vicariously through reading,
analysis and discussion with participants.
(2) Study the Vietnamese culture as it existed before and during the
Vietnam conflict.
(3) Understand the relationship of the Korean conflict to Vietnam.
(4) Research a particular subject in the Vietnam conflict and be able
to present the topic in a term paper and in oral presentation.
(5) Relate the conflict in Vietnam to the American Society of the 1960's
and 1970's.
(6) See the conflict as both a political and military experience and
understand that the two were not always in harmony.
(7) Understand the opposing viewpoints concerning events and decisions
in the war.
(8) Develop the objectives, events, and historical context of the United
States Foreign Policy from 1945-1975.
Learning Activities: Writing and analysis is an essential part
of this course. Students will be critiqued on writing throughout the course
in essay exams, preliminary introduction to term paper and the Term paper.
The course will combine lecture, discussion, video tapes, student oral
presentations and use of outside speakers who were participants in the
Vietnam conflict.
Course Requirements and Evaluation:
| Mid-Term Exam |
March 16 |
300 points |
| Quizzes |
As Scheduled |
300 points |
| Term Paper and Oral Presentation |
April 14 |
300 points |
| Final Exam |
May 15 |
300 points |
*Final Grades will be computed using the following grade scale:
| A |
91.1-100 |
B- |
80-81.9 |
D+ |
68-69.9 |
| A- |
90-91 |
C+ |
78-79.9 |
D |
62-67.9 |
| B+ |
88-89.9 |
C |
72-77.9 |
D- |
60-61.9 |
| B |
82-87.9 |
C- |
70-71.9 |
F |
59.9 or below |
Course Information: Regular attendance is critical to the "experiential"
approach used in this course. Text book coverage, while essential to learning
the subject covers only about 50% of the course learning objectives. Any
student missing more than six (6) class sessions will not receive credit
for the course. Every two tardies will count as one absence. Please be
aware that the last day to drop a course without academic penalty is March
8, 1999.
Make Up Policies (Exams): Students missing an exam with an
acceptable excuse will be permitted to make-up the missed exam during
the last week of the course. Students missing an exam without an acceptable
excuse will receive an automatic "F" on the exam missed and will receive
a numerical score no higher than a 50% or 10 points below the lowest score
in the class, whichever is lower.
Term Papers and Oral Reports: Students will complete a term paper
(15-20) pages focusing on some aspect of a topic from list provided using
sources from library reserved shelf, scholarly journals, government documents,
etc. Students will also present an oral report on their paper in class.
| |
Topic
|
Assignment
|
| I |
Course Introduction |
None |
| II |
Overview "Vietnam Conflict" |
Moore, "Prologue"
Viewpoints, 14-22
|
| III |
Cold War Background |
Anderson, 1-35 |
| IV |
Seeds of the Sixties: Before Vietnam (Movie) |
Beesley, "Preface"
Anderson, 35-58 |
| V |
Vietnam's National Struggle |
Beesley, 1-31
Viewpoints, Ch. 1 |
| VI |
America at War in Vietnam |
Beesley, 32-61
Anderson, 58-72
Viewpoints, Ch. 2 |
| VII |
The Abyss: 1965-1968 |
Anderson, 73-101
Viewpoints, Ch. 3 |
| VIII |
IA Drang: The Battle that Changed the War |
Moore, entire book |
| VIV |
1968 |
Anderson, 102-128 |
| X |
The War at Home |
Anderson, 129-152
Viewpoints, Ch. 5 |
| XI |
Nixon's War |
Anderson, 153-209
Viewpoints, Ch. 4 |
| XII |
The Men Who Fought the War |
Beesley, Part IV |
| XIII |
The War and the Media |
Viewpoints, Ch. 6 |
| XIV |
Legacies of the Vietnam Experience |
Anderson, 210-222 |
I. YALTA/Potsdam Agreements, 1945
a. Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe
b. Occupation of Far East
II. Truman Doctrine of Containment, March 12.
a. Why?
b. Marshall Plan, June 5, 1947
c. European Relief Program, ERP, April
III. Berlin Blockade, June 28, 1948 - May 12, 1949
IV. Korean War, June 26, 1950 - July 27, 1953
a. North Korean Invasion
b. McArthur lands at Inchon, September 15, 1950
c. McArthur crosses 38th parallel, October 7, 1950
d. China enters War, November 26, 1950
e. Stalemate, 1951-1953
f. Cease fire, July 27, 1953
V. ban Missile Crisis, October 14 - October 28, 1962
a. Gradualism
VI. Vietnam
a. Dienbienphu and defeat of French, 1954
b. U.S. support of South Vietnam, Diem Government, 1955-1963
c. Diem and brother killed, November 1, 1963
d. Kennedy assassinated, November 22, 1963
e. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, August 7, 1963, Johnson's War
f. Overt War, 1965
(1) Operation Rolling Thunder, 1965-1968
(2) Escalation of Troops, 19,000 - 543,000 (1964-1969)
g. Ia Drang offensive, November 1965
h. TET offensive, January 31, 1968
i. Johnson elects not to run for re-election
j. Nixon's War, 1969-1973
k. Peace negotiations
(1) Henry Kissinger in China
(2) Henry Kissinger negotiates with North Vietnam 1970-1973
(3) Nixon visits China, February 21, 1973
(4)Bombing of North Vietnam, 1972
l. Vietnam conflict ends, January 23, 1973
m. Indochina falls to communist forces January - April 1975
Updated 2/2/99 by Susan
Murphy
