The Vietnam War 4219-SA018-OG

Started during the World War II, the conflict in Indochina became in the 1960's and 1970's the second great military confrontation of Cold War in Asia, after the Korean War. Between 1965 and 1973 the U.S.A., and several of its allies were militarily engaged there. The course will focus on those events as well as on the enormous impact of them on both international and domestic situation of the United States. The historical background of the conflict and its consequences for all the participants will be analyzed as well.
The role of the United States in the Indochina conflicts between 1950 and 1975, commonly known as the Vietnam War, was and still is probably the most controversial issue in all the history of American foreign policy. Up to this day both Americans and the world opinion are sharply divided in their views this issue. The military and politico-ideological confrontation in far-away region of Asia had a strong impact on American domestic situation, both political and cultural. The struggles for Indochina were a part of greater worldwide conflict - the Cold War. The political defeat the U.S.A. and all the Western bloc suffered there in mid 1970's opened the era of Communist successes all over the world lasting almost up to 1989. That fact alone makes the Vietnam War a very important event in American history. There were however other important dimensions of that war that had a strong impact on American society. It was then that the teenagers started the cultural revolt and becoming what now is called the "generation of 1968", so important phenomenon in todays America and Western Europe. The course aims at an analysis of causes leading to the U.S. involvement in Indochina, forms of that involvement and their consequences for the U.S.A. - both international and domestic, short-term and long-lasting. The following sets of problems will be discussed - the roots of the Indochina problem, starting with the French colonial rule there and the impact of World War II as well as the First Round of 1945-1954 when French and Vietminh forces were fighting each other over control of the region - the circumstances of the beginning of American involvement in what became an anti-Communist crusade in South-East Asia; the birth of Domino Theory and its acceptance by the Eisenhower administration - American military operations in South Vietnam since 1965 and the political controversies over that steps inside the U.S. Governments; the phenomenon of the debate over it among the American public and the birth of antiwar movements of youth and even of the war veterans - the process of gradual reduction and withdrawal of American and allied forces from Vietnam since 1968 and the change in the U.S. role in Indochina seen against the background of international and domestic situation of America - the effects of the involvement in Indochina on both U.S. and South-East Asian history The basic source material consist of American diplomatic papers, Congressional documents, governmental and military documents, press articles, memoirs and interviews.