IP31920 - THE VIETNAM WAR

Module Identifier	IP31920
Module Title	THE VIETNAM WAR
Academic Year	2001/2002
Co-ordinator	Professor Martin Alexander
Semester	Semester 2
Course delivery	Lecture	10 Hours (10 x 1 hour)
	Seminar	10 Hours (5 x 2 hours)
Assessment	Essay	1 x 2,500 words	40%
	Exam	2 Hours	60%

Brief description

This module will give students the opportunity to examine international and US domestic political-cum-ideological reasons for involvement in war in Vietnam from c. 1954 to 1975. Attention will be drawn to the origins of th US involvement in Vietnam and students will be asked to focus closely on the major military strategies, operations and tactics of the Vietnam War as well as debates in the historiography of the Vietnam War over the most persuasive explanation(s) for the eventual defeat of the USA and its ally, the Republic of Vietnam, by 1975. The nature and political impact of the USA press and television coverage of the conflict will be examined and students will be asked to consider the effect of anti-war protests on American public opinion and US policymakers. The module will conclude with an assessment of the legacies of America's defeat in Vietnam for post-1975 US foreign and military policy.

Aims

The aim of this module is to provide students with the opportunity for an in-depth study of military and historiographical issues related to the Vietnam War.

Aims and objectives

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

Discuss the origins of US intervention in Vietnam
Comprehend the multifaceted nature of the Vietnam War
Demonstrate knowledge of the military and pacification strategies of the USA/South Vietnam on one side, and North Vietnam/the Viet Cong on the other
Discuss critically the Vietnam War's main military operations and tactics
Analyse the nature of US anti-war protest and assess its impact on US conduct of the war
Evaluate critically the legacies of defeat in Vietnam for post-1975 US foreign and military policy