HSY2460

The Vietnam war

(ART)

Jane Drakard and others

6 points + 3 hours per week + First (Caulfield) and second (Clayton) semester + Prerequisites: A first-year sequence in History or permission + Prohibitions: HSY3460

Synopsis: This subject traces the origins of the war in resistance to French colonialism after 1945 and examines deepening US involvement, analysing the motivations of the main participants. The subject will focus not just on the military phases of the war, but also on its cultural and ideological ramifications in Vietnam, the USA and Australia. Lectures will provide a general framework with tutorials focussing on more specific issues such as contrasting styles of warfare, cold war ideology, the role of the media, anti-war protest, POW and veterans issues and approaches to commemoration and remembrance. The wider ramifications of the war in Southeast Asia, especially in Cambodia, will also be studied.

Assessment: Essay (2000 words): 45% + Class project (1500 words): 30% + Class test (1000 words): 25%