Mar 28, 2024  
2015-2016 Official General Catalog 
    
2015-2016 Official General Catalog [Archived Catalog]

HIS 188 - Vietnam and America


A course on the Vietnam War and American society.  Background:  modern Vietnam, war and American culture, the Cold War.  The War:  military and political aspects, the soldier’s experience.  The homefront: social developments, the media, the anti-war movement.  The legacy of the war.  Meets SUNY General Education United States History requirement for students scoring 85 and above on the United States History Regents Exam.

Credits: 3
Hours
3 Class Hours
Course Profile
Learning Outcomes of the Course:

Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1.  Distinguish primary and secondary sources in history.
2.  Read primary sources in history and formulate pertinent inferences and interpretations.
3.  Distinguish and evaluate principal interpretations of the lessons of the Vietnam War.
4.  Discuss the impact of Cold War events and American culture on the American response to conflict in Vietnam.
5.  Identify the major features of Vietnamese geography, culture, and history.
6.  Identify the principal historical “turning points” in the Vietnamese wars.
7.  Distinguish and evaluate both actual and alternative military strategies of both Americans and Vietnamese.
8.  Describe the war and post-war experiences of soldiers on all sides.
9.  Explain how the United States military draft was organized and functioned and the impact of factors of race, class, and gender on the creation of the American forces.
10.  Debate issues of the legality of this war and war generally, the nature of war crimes, and the war powers of the branches of the Federal govenment.
11.  Examine a variety of Vietnamese perspectives on the war.
12.  Describe the roles of women on all sides of this war.
13.  Explain the social, cultural and political developments in the United States in this period and their impacts on the outcome of the war.
14.  Debate the impact of the United States mass media in the support for the war and its outcome.
15.  Discuss the ways in which the war has been represented in popular culture.
16.  Examine social, political and economic effects on Vietnam and America after the war.