Introduction:

In the eyes of many Americans, there is little separation between the image of “Vietnam” and the tragic outcome of US involvement in the Second Indochinese War. However, Viet Nam as a nation and the Vietnamese as a people have existed in the region for over two thousand years, fighting during much of this time for both political autonomy and cultural self-identity. During the course of its history, Viet Nam’s military adversary and cultural ally has often been China. Conversely, Chinese leaders have long believed that their empire shared a special bond with Viet Nam, which at times promoted the impulse to subjugate their smaller neighbor. This course will consider the history of wars fought on Vietnamese soil within the larger context of political, social and cultural change. The course themes include; resistance of foreign aggression as an integral part of the Vietnamese nationalist narrative, Vietnamese self-identity in the shadow of Chinese domination, the anti-colonial origins of the Vietnamese nationalist and Communist movements, and Vietnamese government’s uneasy relations with border ethnic groups. It is my desire that, after the completion of this seminar course, we will have a larger historical context in which we can more clearly evaluate the events of the last 50 years.

Students taking this course should reach the following goals by the end of the semester:

q Construct persuasive written arguments regarding issues of historical interpretation.

q Utilize the latest methods of Web-based technology to communicate with fellow students.

q Understand better the effect the ancient past has had on the modern world.

q Exhibit self-motivation and self-expression by exploring and asking questions regarding historical topics beyond personal life experiences.