Course Description: This course is a study of the United States' participation in the Vietnam War. The course covers the origins, events, and consequences of the war from 1945 to 1975. Special emphasis will be given to the causes of American involvement in the war and the reasons for the failure of American policy in Vietnam.

Textbooks and Required Readings: Students are required to read the following books:

George Donelson Moss, Vietnam: An American Ordeal, 2d ed. (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1994)


Robert J. McMahon, ed., Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War: Documents and Essays, 2d ed. (Lexington, Mass.: D. C. Heath and Company, l995)


Harry G. Summers, Jr., On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War (Novato, Calif.: Presidio Press, 1982; paperback ed., New York: Dell Publishing, 1984)


Terry H. Anderson, The Movement and the Sixties: Protest in America From Greensboro to Wounded Knee (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996)

Course Objectives: Students will be able to identify and discuss the factors which contributed to the United States' participation in the Vietnam War, the major events of the war, the reasons for the failure of American policy in Vietnam, and the long-term consequences of the war on American society and the international community.

Exams: All exams will be essay exams. Three exams will be given during the course of the semester. Each of these exams will cover about one-third of the course material and each will count for 25 percent of the student's final grade. The exams have been tentatively scheduled for June 6, June 18, and June 30. On exam days, the class will be divided into two periods. During the first period (roughly 30-40 minutes), we will have a regular class lecture and discussion session. During the second period (roughly 50-60 minutes), the exam will be given.

Analysis of the Vietnam War: Students will write an extended analysis of either the causes of the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War or the reasons for the failure of American policy in Vietnam. This written analysis will be based on each student's interpretation of the materials presented in the required readings and in additional materials provided by the professor or gathered by the student. While there is no maximum or minimum length required for the analyses, papers of 10-12 pages are ideal. The analysis paper will be due on June 29 and will count for 25 percent of the student's final grade. More detailed instructions about the writing of the analysis will be given later.

Make-Up Assignments: Students will be allowed to make up missed assignments only with the consent of the professor. Ordinarily, the professor will accept make-up assignments only in cases of unavoidable student absences, such as those caused by illness or by a death in the immediate family. Students may be required to document the causes of their absences before the make-up work will be accepted by the professor.

Course Outline: See the schedule below.

Grading and Evaluation of Students: The following grading scale will be used in this course: A 90.0-100.0; B 80.0-89.9; C 70.0-79.9; D 60.0-69.9; F 59.9 and below. Final semester grades for the course will be determined by counting the course assignments and exams in the following proportions: exam 1-25 percent; exam 2-25 percent; exam 3-25 percent; analysis of the Vietnam War-25 percent.

Attendance: Class attendance will be checked in every class period. At the end of the semester, class attendance will be used in calculating the final semester grade.

Attendance records will be used to determine the final grade of students who are on the borderline between two grades (i.e., students who are within one semester point of the higher grade). In the case of a student who is on the borderline between two grades, the student with 0-1 unexcused absences will receive the higher of the two grades.

Students with 4 or more unexcused absences will receive the following penalties: 4-5 absences-minus one letter grade from semester average; 6-7 unexcused absences-minus two letter grades from semester average; 8 or more unexcused absences-the grade of F for the semester.

Students who fall into the penalty range will have the option of doing an extra assignment to remove the penalty. The assignment will be a term paper, the length of which will be determined by the number of absences in class: 4 absences-5 pages; 5 absences-10 pages; 6 absences-15 pages; 7 absences-20 pages; 8 or more absences-25 pages. The term paper must be of C or better quality to remove the penalty. Students who exercise this option must see the professor in advance to obtain approval of their term paper topic and instructions for completing their papers.

The following constitute excused absences: (1) illness, with a note from a doctor or the dean; (2) death in the immediate family, with a note from the dean; (3) required appearance in a court of law, with a note from the dean; (4) representing the college in an extracurricular activity, with a note from the faculty or administrative adviser of the activity and the prior approval of the professor of this course.

Please note that some college extracurricular activities do not justify an excused absence, so prior approval of the absence by the professor is required. Athletes who plan to miss class for a game must notify the professor before each absence to receive an excused absence. Students who plan to miss class for such activities as work, job interviews, job fairs, weddings, vacations, completing work for other courses, etc., should save their cuts for these purposes.

Students who arrive late to a session of the class should check with the professor at the end of that class session to be certain that their attendance has been recorded. Students who arrive excessively late to a class period or who leave class early will receive only partial credit for their attendance that day.

Auditors: Students who are auditing the course will receive an audit credit only if they have 4 or fewer absences in the class.

Schedule: The following tentative schedule should be used as a guide for the completion of assignments and readings. Assigned readings should be completed by the class date listed in the left column.