WELLESLEY COLLEGE
POL3 306S Seminar: The Vietnam War
Spring 2006
Professor William A. Joseph
PNE 232, x2201
Office Hours: Tuesday 9:30-12:30; Thursday 2:30-5:00

The PURPOSE OF THIS COURSE is to understand and analyze the origins, development, consequences, and legacies of war and revolution in Vietnam from the early twentieth century to the present. After an introductory meeting, the next section will be spent discussing the meaning and causes of revolution, the relationship between revolution and war, and the tactics and strategies of both revolutionaries and those who want to stop them from winning power and achieving their revolutionary goals. The remainder of the course will focus specifically on revolution and war in Vietnam and will consider topics such as: the impact of French colonialism on traditional Vietnamese society; the role of World War II in shaping nationalism and communism in Vietnam; leadership (particularly that of Ho Chi Minh), organization, and tactics of the Vietnamese revolutionary movement; the motives, stages, and strategies of American intervention in Vietnam; expansion of the conflict to Cambodia and Laos; important events such as the My Lai Massacre and the Tet Offensive; the anti-war movement in the United States; political and economic development in Vietnam since the end of the war and the reunification of the country under communist rule in the mid-1970s.; and the lessons and legacies of the Vietnam War for both Vietnam and the United States.

Requirements and grading:

  1. Presentations, participation, and attendance (30%). This includes:
  1. A short paper (5-7 pages) reviewing and (most importantly) reflecting upon the topic of one of the seminar sessions based on the reading and other assignments. This can be handed in anytime during the term as long as it is no more than two weeks after the topic has been discussed. You may not write on the topic for the week for which you are leading the session and making the presentation. (20%)
  1. A research paper (about 20 pages) on a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor due by 4:30 p.m., Friday, May, 20th (50%). A one page statement of your paper topic and a preliminary bibliography are due no later than Friday, April 21st. (50%)

Please see the list of "Responsibilities and Expectations" for the course that is attached to this syllabus.

Required Books: The following books are available for purchase in the bookstore. They are also on reserve in the Library.

Video Assignments: There are both required and recommended video assignments for this course. The required videos should be taken just as seriously as the required reading. All required and recommended videos are on reserve at the library and many of them can also be borrowed from the instructor. We may try to arrange group showings of some of the videos; students are also encouraged to view the videos in groups, if possible. For a list of many of the videos on the Vietnam War available in the College Library, see the Videos on the Vietnam War in the Wellesley College Library link on the instructor's homepage.

Internet Assignments: There are quite a few Internet assignments for this course, which can be accessed via the on-line syllabus or the FirstClass course conference. There is an extraordinary wealth of information about the Vietnam War on the Internet: some suggested sites can be found on the "Vietnam Links" on the instructor's homepage.

Photograph Books: Photographs are a particularly vivid and affecting way to try to understand the realities of the Vietnam War. The four listed below are particularly remarkable and are available in Clapp Libary. I urge you look at one of more of these books at some point during the course.

Course Schedule and Assignments