HIST 318 A The United States and the Vietnam War

Transcription

1 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 1 HIST 318 A The United States and the Vietnam War Summer Session May 30 July 23, 2016 Course Description Analysis of American involvement in the Vietnam War from 1955 to The events of the armed conflict are placed in a multiplicity of contexts to reveal political, diplomatic, military, social, and economic factors. The course considers the deployment of armed forces in addition to the impact of the peace movement. Significant attention is given to the challenges of the Cold War, dynamics of popular culture, and the fall of South Vietnam. Prerequisite: HIST 122 Proctored Exams: -- Midterm Textbooks 1. McMahon, Robert J. Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War, 4 th edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN-13: (Previous editions of this book do not contain the essays required for this class.) 2. Moss, George Donelson. Vietnam: An American Ordeal, 6 th edition. Prentice Hall, Inc., ISBN-13: Rampolla, Mary Lynn. Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 8 th edition. Bedford Books, ISBN-13: Textbooks for the course may be ordered from MBS Direct. You can order online at (be sure to select Online Education rather than your home campus before selecting your class) by phone at For additional information about the bookstore, visit Course Overview Welcome to the history of the Vietnam War. For some Americans the Vietnam War represents a very dark period of American history as reflected in the actions of some American youth in the form of anti-vietnam War protests and the violence in both the anti-vietnam War protests and the Civil Rights movement. For other Americans, particularly those who served in the American military, the Vietnam War was a frustrating experience where the American military was not used (or could not be used) to defeat an enemy that was vastly inferior in military capability and experience. Now that we are well into the 21st Century an increasingly large percent of the Americans have no personal memory or any direct links to the Vietnam War. Studying the Vietnam War is steadily becoming similar to the study of any other war; that is, it is a historical inquiry. In HIST 318 we will look at the

2 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 2 Vietnam War from the period of 1946 to We will begin with an examination of France s experience in its war against the Viet Minh from 1946 to 1954, and will then survey the era of the two Vietnams and the evolution of American political, economic, and military involvement in Vietnam (and the later devolution of the involvement) from 1954 to At the end of eight weeks, it is my goal that everyone in the class will have a solid understanding of the chronology of key events of the Vietnam War and will have been exposed to some of the questions and concerns that affected the United States prosecution of the war and that still prevail about the American policies and actions in that war. Technology Requirements Participation in this course will require the basic technology for all online classes at Columbia College: A computer with reliable Internet access, a web browser, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office or another word processor such as Open Office. You can find more details about standard technical requirements for our courses on our site. Course Objectives To review the impact of the Cold War on Vietnam. To recognize American strategies and tactics during the various phases of the armed conflict. To assess the impact of domestic politics, the peace movement, and the news media on the U.S. To compare and contrast various historiographical perspectives on the Vietnam War. Measurable Learning Outcomes Describe the conditions and decisions that led to American involvement in Southeast Asia. Examine the U.S. commitment to South Vietnam in the context of the Cold War. Study the Gulf of Tonkin incident and its impact on American policymakers. Explain the evolution of the long struggle between American and communist forces in Vietnam. Analyze the impact of domestic politics, the peace movement, and the news media on public opinion. Evaluate the successes and failures of the Vietnamization policy. Analyze the consequences of South Vietnam's fall. Describe the influence of the Vietnam War on the U.S. in the 1960's and 1970's. Evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and trends in the historiography of the Vietnam War.

3 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 3 Grading Grading Scale GRADE POINTS PERCENT A 900-1, B C D F Grade Weights ASSIGNMENT POINTS PERCENT Discussions (8) Essays (4) Midterm Exam Comparison Paper Total 1, Schedule of Due Dates WEEK ASSIGNMENT POINTS DUE Introductions -- 1 Saturday Discussion Discussion 2 20 Saturday Essay 1 60 Sunday Proctor Information -- 3 Discussion 3 20 Saturday Essay 2 60 Sunday 4 Discussion 4 20 Saturday Midterm Exam 300 Sunday 5 Discussion 5 20 Saturday Essay 3 60 Sunday 6 Discussion 6 20 Saturday Essay 4 60 Sunday 7 Discussion 7 20 Saturday Comparison Paper 300 Sunday 8 Discussion 8 20 Friday

4 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 4 Assignment Overview Discussions: Each week you are expected to actively participation in the class discussion, which is located in the Discussions area. The weekly discussions are objective academic exercises. There are 1-3 questions posed for each week. Your posts must be original, intelligible, and grammatically correct. Simply rephrasing what others have posted is unacceptable. To earn the full credit each week, you must answer all of the questions (15 points), comment on three other students answers to each question (5 points), and read all postings. All discussion postings are graded as one. Given the sensitive nature of the material we will discuss, I ask that everyone adheres to the rules of civility in any comments that you make. I will periodically respond to your postings either on the forum or in private. Essays: You are required to write four (4) essays on assigned topics. Specific topics are given in the corresponding week s information. Each essay must be two (2) pages in length as a double-spaced Word document (do not use Word Perfect), one-inch margins all around (one inch on the left and right margins, one inch at the top and 1 inch at the bottom), and 12-point, Times New Roman font. Correct grammar, spelling, and paragraphing are required. You need to edit your paper carefully to insure that what you have written is clearly understandable. Failure to edit the essays will result in a lower grade regardless of the quality of the content of the essays. Midterm Exam: You have 2 hours to complete this proctored exam. The Midterm Exam is a computer exam (available in the Quiz Module area) and consists of 10 objective/short answer questions and three essay questions. You will only need to answer two of the three essay questions. A review sheet will be provided to you on Sunday of Week 3. The exam questions will be based on material covered in Weeks 1-4. No notes, flash drives, or other material may be used during the exam. You are given the essay topics in advance for study purposes. You must write your essay answers during the exam. Comparison Paper: The Comparison Paper differs somewhat from a traditional research paper in its format. In the Comparison Paper you are tasked to write three (3), distinct comparative essays that are submitted as one document. In each essay you will compare and contrast two of the assigned essays from the McMahon textbook (see below). Although I want the three comparative essays submitted as a single document, you may complete each of the comparative essays incrementally as we cover the material. Each of the three comparative essays must be at least three (3) pages in length as a double-spaced Word document, one-inch margins, and 12-point, Times New Roman font. Use of the Chicago Manual of Style is mandatory. The format is covered in the Rampolla text. Correct citation style, grammar, spelling, and correct paragraphing are required. You need to edit your paper carefully to insure that what you have written is clearly understandable. Failure to edit the essays will result in a lower grade regardless of the quality of the content of the essays. Please me if you are uncertain as to what the requirements for this paper are. Comparative Essay #1: Compare and contrast the following two essays: 1. Cold War Strategy and U.S. Intervention by Robert McMahon (pp ) 2. The European Influence on America s Commitment to War in Vietnam by Mark Atwood Lawrence (pp ) Comparative Essay #2: Compare and contrast the following two essays: 1. A Crippling Defeat for the United States by Robert Buzzanco (pp ) 2. Tet and the Media by William Hammond (pp ) Comparative Essay #3: Compare and contrast the following two essays: 1. Nixon s Flawed Search for Peace by Melvin Small (pp )) 2. A Better War by Lewis Sorley (pp )

5 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 5 Course Schedule Week 1 Origins of the Vietnam War McMahon: Chapters 1 & 2 (pp. 1-46) Moss: Chapter 1 Activities: Familiarize yourself with the course environment. Read the syllabus, specifically the Course Schedule section. Conduct an Internet search using the topic History of the Vietnam War. Select three (3) Websites and provide a short description of each site s contents. Place your three websites in the Dropbox. Discussion Assignments: Introductions: Please post a brief biographical statement indicating your name, nickname if any, location, academic interests, occupation, and any other information you choose to give. Discussion 1 Questions: You are required to answer all of the questions posed, comment on three other students answers to each question, and read all postings. All postings are due by midnight Saturday. 1. What was Ho Chi Minh s background as a nationalist and a socialist prior to World War II? 2. What impact did the Japanese occupation of Vietnam from have on the growth of the Viet Minh movement and the rise of Ho Chi Minh as the national leader? Week 2 The First Vietnam War, McMahon: Chapter 3 (pp ) Moss: Chapter 2 (pp ) Proctor Information: Please post your proctor information for the Mid-term Exam to the correct topic in the Discussions area by midnight Sunday. Discussion 2 Questions: You are required to answer all of the questions posed, comment on three other students answers to each question, and read all postings. All postings are due by midnight Saturday. 1. What were the major victories the French had over Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh between 1946 and 1954? 2. What the major victories of the Viet Minh over the French military between 1946 and 1954? 3. What conclusions could each side have drawn from their respective victories and defeats in the French Viet Minh War? Essay 1: Write an essay with a minimum length of two full pages of text, double-spaced using 12-point font and one-inch margins on the following topic and submit it through the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Sunday. Topic: Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the French military forces and the Viet Minh military forces between 1946 and Week 3 Dien Bien Phu, Geneva and Diem, McMahon: Chapters 4 & 5 (pp ) Moss: Chapters 3 & 4 The Midterm Exam review sheet posted in the Content area for Week 4.

6 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 6 Activities: None Discussion 3 Questions: You are required to answer all of the questions posed, comment on three other students answers to each question, and read all postings. All postings are due by midnight Saturday. 1. What were the key points made by President Eisenhower in Document 2 (Eisenhower Explains the Domino Theory, p. 84) in the McMahon book? Do you agree or disagree with what President Eisenhower stated in the interview? Why or why not? 2. What role did the Chinese Foreign Minister Chou En Lai and the Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov play at the Geneva Conference on Indochina in 1954 and what lessons should the Viet Minh leaders have learned? 3. How did Ngo Dien Diem come to power in South Vietnam and what were his principal strengths and weaknesses? How were Diem s strengths and weaknesses perceived by American political leaders? Essay 2: Write an essay with a minimum length of two full pages of text, double-spaced and using 12-point font and one-inch margins on the following topic and submit it through the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Sunday. Topic: What should the United States have learned politically and militarily from the French loss to the Viet Minh in the First Vietnam War from 1946 to 1954, and specifically from the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu? Week 4 Diem, Kennedy, Johnson and American Intervention, McMahon: Chapters 5 & 6 (pp ) Moss: Chapter 5 Activities: None Discussion 4 Questions: You are required to answer all of the questions posed, comment on three other students answers to each question, and read all postings. All postings are due by midnight Saturday. 1. Why did the United States Government want President Diem to be removed from office in 1963? 2. In your opinion, did the assassination of President Kennedy have an impact on American military involvement in Vietnam after his death? Why or why not? 3. Based on the readings, what role did the Tonkin Gulf incidents play on committing the United States to military intervention in Vietnam? Midterm Exam: The two-hour, proctored exam must be completed by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Week 5 American Military Intervention in Vietnam from March 1965 to the Tet Offensive in January of 1968 McMahon: Chapters 6-7 (pp ) & Chapter 8 (pp only) Moss: Chapters 6 & 7 Activities: None Discussion 5 Questions: You are required to answer all of the questions posed, comment on three other students answers to each question, and read all postings. All postings are due by midnight Saturday. 1. Based on the readings and any other source you may have found, how do you think the political and private personality of President Johnson affected the decisions about the nature and scope of American military intervention in Vietnam from 1965 until the end of 1967? 2. Based on what you have read, how would you account for the decisions by the Johnson Administration to steadily increase the American military presence in South Vietnam from

7 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 7 approximately 16,000 in January of 1964 to over 500,000 by January of 1968? Essay 3: Write an essay with a minimum length of two full pages of text, double-spaced and using 12- point font and one-inch margins on the following topic and submit it through the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Sunday. Topic: In the McMahon book, two essays are included, one essay, Choosing War by Fredrik Logevall (p. 183), and the other, An Unwinnable War by Robert K. Brigham (p. 212). In an essay, summarize each of the essays and compare and contrast the principal arguments of these two writers. Week 6 The Tet Offensive and the Political and Military Events of 1968 McMahon: Chapters 9 & 10 (pp ) Moss: Chapters 8 & 9 Activities: None Discussion 6 Questions: You are required to answer all of the questions posed, comment on three other students answers to each question, and read all postings. All postings are due by midnight Saturday. 1. What was the principal failure of the Tet Offensive in terms of the original goals set forth for the offensive by the North Vietnamese? 2. Why did the American public and the American media seem to have been shocked by the Tet Offensive? Essay 4: Write an essay with a minimum length of two full pages of text, double-spaced and using 12-point font and one-inch margins on the following topic and submit it through the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Sunday. Topic: The argument is made and supported that the Tet Offensive was a military disaster for the North Vietnamese and particularly for Viet Cong. Moss and others have also pointed out that the Tet Offensive was a major political victory for North Vietnam in that it escalated the anti-vietnam War sentiments in the United States: in Congress, in the media, and in middle-class America. In an essay, give me your assessment of the Tet Offensive. What could have been done differently (if anything) to have averted the negative domestic political effects in America that resulted from the Tet Offensive? Course Evaluations: Please evaluate the course. You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. A link sent to your CougarMail will allow you to access the evaluation. Please note that these evaluations are provided so that I can improve the course, find out what students perceive to be its strengths and weaknesses, and in general assess the success of the course. Please do take the time to fill this out. Week 7 Nixon, Vietnamization and American Disengagement, McMahon: Chapter 11 Moss: Chapters 10 Comparative Paper: Submit your Comparative Paper to the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Sunday. Discussion 7 Questions: You are required to answer all of the questions posed, comment on three other students answers to each question, and read all postings. All postings are due by midnight Saturday. 1. How successful was the Vietnamization program of President Nixon in transferring the responsibility for ground combat operations to the South Vietnamese Army? 2. Based on the readings, do you agree or disagree with Nixon s secret bombing of Cambodia in 1969? Why or why not? Week 8 Linebacker II, the Paris Peace Accords and the United States Exodus from the Vietnam War

8 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 8 McMahon: Chapter 13, Moss: Chapter 11,12 Discussion 8 Questions: You are required to answer all of the questions posed, comment on three other students answers to each question, and read all postings. All postings are due by midnight Friday. 1. In December of 1972, talks between the United States and North Vietnam stalled and President Nixon ordered the resumption of bombing of North Vietnam, including the use of B-52 bombers. Based on the readings, was this decision the appropriate reaction or was it an overreaction? Why? 2. Was the Paris Peace Accord a viable peace settlement of the Vietnam War or did it just provide a decent interval between the withdrawal of American military forces and the collapse of the South Vietnamese government. Why? Course Policies Student Conduct All Columbia College students, whether enrolled in a land-based or online course, are responsible for behaving in a manner consistent with Columbia College's Student Conduct Code and Acceptable Use Policy. Students violating these policies will be referred to the office of Student Affairs and/or the office of Academic Affairs for possible disciplinary action. The Student Code of Conduct and the Computer Use Policy for students can be found in the Columbia College Student Handbook. The Handbook is available online; you can also obtain a copy by calling the Student Affairs office (Campus Life) at The teacher maintains the right to manage a positive learning environment, and all students must adhere to the conventions of online etiquette. Plagiarism Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation of these ideas. Presenting the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form as your own is plagiarism. Students who fail to properly give credit for information contained in their written work (papers, journals, exams, etc.) are violating the intellectual property rights of the original author. For proper citation of the original authors, you should reference the appropriate publication manual for your degree program or course (Chicago Style, APA, MLA, etc.). Violations are taken seriously in higher education and may result in a failing grade on the assignment, a grade of "F" for the course, or dismissal from the College. Collaboration conducted between students without prior permission from the instructor is considered plagiarism and will be treated as such. Spouses and roommates taking the same course should be particularly careful. All required papers may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included in the Turnitin.com reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. This service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site. Non-Discrimination There will be no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap, or marital status. Disability Services Students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this course are required to register with the Coordinator for Disability Services at (573) Until the student has been cleared through the disability services office, accommodations do not have to be granted. If you are a

9 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 9 student who has a documented disability, it is important for you to read the entire syllabus before enrolling in the course. The structure or the content of the course may make an accommodation not feasible. Online Participation You are expected to read the assigned texts and participate in the discussions and other course activities each week. Assignments should be posted by the due dates stated on the grading schedule in your syllabus. If an emergency arises that prevents you from participating in class, please let your instructor know as soon as possible. Attendance Policy Attendance for a week will be counted as having submitted a course assignment for which points have been earned during that week of the session or if the proctoring information has been submitted or the plagiarism quiz taken if there was no other assignment due that week. A class week is defined as the period of time between Monday and Sunday (except for Week 8, when the week and the course will end on Saturday at midnight). The course and system deadlines are all based on the Central Time Zone. Cougar All students are provided a Cougar Mail account when they enroll in classes at Columbia College. You are responsible for monitoring from that account for important messages from the College and from your instructor. You may forward your Cougar account to another account; however, the College cannot be held responsible for breaches in security or service interruptions with other providers. Students should use for private messages to the instructor and other students. The class discussions are for public messages so the class members can each see what others have to say about any given topic and respond. Late Assignment Policy An online class requires regular participation and a commitment to your instructor and your classmates to regularly engage in the reading, discussion and writing assignments. Although most of the online communication for this course is asynchronous, you must be able to commit to the schedule of work for the class for the next eight weeks. You must keep up with the schedule of reading and writing to successfully complete the class. Late papers (essays) will be assessed an automatic 50% penalty with an additional 5 points per day up to 3 days past the original due date. Assignments received after the three day period will receive no credit. Late discussion posts will not receive any credit. Course Evaluation You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session.. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted. Proctor Policy Students taking course that require proctored exams must submit their competed proctor request forms to their instructors at the end of the second week of the session. Proctors located at Columbia College campuses are automatically approved. The use of Proctor U services is also automatically approved. The instructor of each course will consider any other choice of proctor for approval or denial. Additional proctor choices the instructor will consider include: librarians, high school or college instructors, high school or college counseling services, commanding officers, education

10 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 10 service officers, and other proctoring services. Personal friends, family members, athletic coaches, and direct supervisors are not acceptable. You must submit the Student Proctor Information Submission Form to the Proctor Information Drop Box within your course by the end of Week 2. The form and additional information about Proctoring are located in the Content area of the course. Additional Resources Orientation for New Students This course is offered online, using course management software provided by Desire2Learn and Columbia College. The Student Manual provides details about taking an online course at Columbia College. You may also want to visit the course demonstration to view a sample course before this one opens. Technical Support If you have problems accessing the course or posting your assignments, contact your instructor, the Columbia College Helpdesk, or the D2L Helpdesk for assistance. Contact information is also available within the online course environment. CCHelpDesk@ccis.edu ex helpdesk@desire2learn.com Online Tutoring Smarthinking is a free online tutoring service available to all Columbia College students. Smarthinking provides real-time online tutoring and homework help for Math, English, and Writing. Smarthinking also provides access to live tutorials in writing and math, as well as a full range of study resources, including writing manuals, sample problems, and study skills manuals. You can access the service from wherever you have a connection to the Internet. I encourage you to take advantage of this free service provided by the college. Access Smarthinking through CougarTrack under Students->Academics->Academic Resources. Grading Criteria Discussions: Grading Rubric for Weekly Discussions Criteria Description Points Content Postings are original and relevant to the posted topic(s). Postings are concise and appropriately referenced. Postings further the discussion by engaging their 12 classmates and provoking thought. Responses Responses are complete and concise and appropriately referenced. Students demonstrate interaction with at least three other class members in a timely manner with original thought and not merely restating what others have already said, and read the posts of others in the class. 5 Punctuality Postings and responses are completed before the deadline and in a timely manner that facilitate the discussion. 1 Grammar Postings and responses are intelligible and clearly communicate the author s intent. No grammatical errors or misspellings. 2

11 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 11 Total There are 8 weeks of Discussion Questions for a total of 160 points for the class. 20 Essays: Grading Rubric for Essays 1, 2, 3 and 4 Criteria Description Points Content Essays must be original and relevant to the essay topics provided. The essays must be concise, answer the essay topics fully and appropriately referenced. Where required, you must give your opinion on the topic and provide the rationale 45 for your opinion. Most of the information needed for the essays are contained in the textbooks assigned; other sources can be used (Not Wikipedia) Format The essays contain a minimum of two full pages of text using one-inch margins, Font 12 and double-spacing. A cover sheet containing your name, course number, 10 etc. is recommended so that it is clear that two full pages of text have been written Grammar Essays are intelligible and clearly communicate the author s intent. No grammatical errors or misspellings are acceptable. Be able to apply the rules for 5 numbering within a paragraph, Total There are four essays assigned for the class for a total of 240 points. 60 Comparison Paper: Grading Rubric For Comparison Paper Criteria Description Points The assigned three sets of essays for the Comparison Essays are from the Topic for the McMahon text and are contained in the syllabus. Comparison Each of the Comparison Essay is worth 100 points for a total of 300 points. (All Essays of the Comparison Essays are graded as one assignment.) Supporting argument Organization Mechanics Sources Elaborates major points of each of the essays with a degree of specificity. Clarifies premises for comparing and contrasting the information in each of sets of essays using coherent diction. Incorporates an introduction, body and conclusion. Organizes paragraphs with approximately six to eight sentences developing a single topic. Avoids short, one or two sentence paragraphs. Avoids spelling errors, improper grammar, flawed punctuation, and awkward language. Each Comparison Essay includes three (3) pages of fully typed text based on the information in each of the sets of two essays from the McMahon text. Must use One-inch margins; double spaced, 12 point font, and approximately 250 words per page. Saved in Microsoft Word format. Microsoft Works will not upload to the Dropbox. The assigned essays from the McMahon text are the primary sources of information for the student to compare and contrast the theses of the two authors in each of the three sets of essays. Other sources may be used to support or challenge the positions of the two authors of the essays. Uses the Chicago Manual of Style (also known as Turabian) consistently and correctly; Rampolla s A Pocket Guide to Writing in History is one of your texts and should be consulted extensively. Adds a properly detailed set of footnotes and bibliography per the Chicago

12 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 12 Manual of Style. Total 300