HST31035 The Wars for Vietnam: Empire, Decolonisation and Liberation

HST31035: The Wars for Vietnam: Empire, Decolonisation and Liberation

40 credits (semesters 1 and 2)

Module Leader: Dr Simon Toner (2024-25)


Module Summary

In the middle decades of the twentieth century, Vietnam was wrenched by wars: a world war, a war of decolonisation, a civil war, the Cold War, and a war against its erstwhile Communist allies. By studying these conflicts, we not only learn about modern Vietnam, but also the French empire, U.S. foreign policy, and communist internationalism in the mid-20th Century. As case studies, these wars shed light on larger global processes of imperial conquest, decolonisation and neo-colonial control, communist revolution and the limits of internationalism. As an archetype of national liberation, events in Vietnam also profoundly shaped anti-colonial struggles around the world and social movements in the United States and Europe, from Black Power to the women’s liberation movement. This module explores the wars for Vietnam through the themes of empire, decolonisation, and liberation, paying close attention to Vietnamese perspectives, exploring the role of France, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China, and uncovering the global reverberations of these conflicts.


Assessment

Please see this page for further information about assessment. 


Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, a student will be able to: 


• Demonstrate a good understanding of the local, international, and transnational origins, course, and legacies of the wars for Vietnam

• Demonstrate a good understanding of empire, decolonisation, and liberation as conceptual categories for understanding these conflicts and their international effects

• Critically evaluate the historiography of and primary sources on the wars for Vietnam

• Show a capacity to communicate ideas effectively in written work and oral debate


Selected Reading