SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS

Colorado State University, Academic Partner

Voyage: Spring 2020 Discipline: History Course Number and Title: HIST 465 Pacific Wars: Korea and Vietnam Division: Upper Faculty Name: Jim Huffman Semester Credit Hours: 3

Class Meetings: A days, 1110-1230, Adlon Office Hours: A-odd days 1535-1630; B-even 1315-1410. Place TBA

Prerequisites: The standard CSU prerequisites – three (3) history credits and no fewer than 45 total credits – have been waived by the instructor.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

American wars since the late 1940s have been long and ambiguous, with no decisive victories. This course will look at the wars in Korea and Vietnam that changed American perceptions of its role in the world even as they modified the world’s balance of power. Early in our voyage, we will focus on Korea, examining the war’s causes, its impact on the struggle between communism and capitalism, and its long-term impact on the Korean peninsula. By the time we reach Ho Chi Minh City, we will have begun our study of the long, costly Vietnam War, or what the Vietnamese call “the American War.” While in Vietnam, we will compare the ways the Americans and Vietnamese interpreted the conflict.

Our goal will be twofold: to learn the “facts” of the wars, and to understand their broader meanings, as well as the issues that surrounded them. That means we will focus on becoming skillful interpreters, capable of articulating our thoughts clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing. The course will combine lectures and discussions. Requirements will include writing, discussion, and tests.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 To gain a factual understanding of the contours of the wars in Korea and Vietnam, including their causes and legacies.  To hone our interpretive skills: how to use historical material, how to form an argument, how to express our interpretations  To grapple with the varying ways people in different locations understand the “facts” of their own past—in particular, how/why Vietnamese and Americans see the Vietnamese/American War differently.  To become better communicators, both orally and in writing.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS

AUTHOR: Steven Hugh Lee TITLE: The PUBLISHER: Longman (imprint of Pearson Education) ISBN: 0-582-31988-9 DATE/EDITION: 2001 paperback

AUTHOR: Mark Atwood Lawrence TITLE: The Vietnam War: A concise International History PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press ISBN: 978-0-19-975393-2 DATE/EDITION: 2008 paperback

AUTHOR: Michael H. Hunt TITLE: A Vietnam War Reader: A Documentary History from American and Vietnamese Perspectives PUBLISHER: University of North Carolina Press ISBN: 978-0-8078-5991-9 DATE/EDITION: 2010 paperback

TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE

Note: E = electronic holdings

Depart Ensenada, Mexico — January 5

A1—January 7: Introduction to Class: what we hope to achieve and how we will proceed

The Korean War

A2—January 9: East Asia at the end of World War II Question: What conditions in , Japan, and Korea in 1945 made a new war likely? Gluck et al, “Seventieth Anniversary,” 531-537 (E) quiz; choose debate person

A3—January 11: Occupation and Civil War in Korea Question: Why did unity prove impossible in postwar Korea? Lee, 1-35

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA — January 12

Reflection and Study Day—January 13 (no class)

A4—January 14: An International War Breaks Out Question: What turned the North/South divisions into a war involving the whole world? Lee, 37-59 International Date Line Crossing — January 16 (Lost Day)

A5—January 17: A Peninsula Enflamed Questions: What were the major events and dynamics of the war after the early months? Lee, 60-81

Study Day — January 19 (No Class)

A6—January 20: Discussion/debate: Interpreting “Massacres” Question: Why did so many massacres occur and why did it take so long for them to be known? Choe, et all, entire article (E); Brown, “Historical Lessons,” 20-25 (E)

A7—January 22: Long Negotiations (plus discussion of war’s perspectives) Question: What dynamics caused treaty talks to be so difficult and lengthy? Lee, 82-99; watch “M*A*S*H*”

Kobe, Japan — January 24-28

A8—January 29: Korea and the World: After the War Question: How can we account for the different paths taken by the North and the South after 1954? Cumings, “Requiem,” 225-243 (E) quiz

Shanghai, China — January 31 – February 5

A9—February 6: Test over Korean War

The Vietnam/American War

A10—February 8: War in Vietnam: An Overview Question: What basic facts do I need to know to make my stay in Ho Chi Minh City meaningful?

Ho Chi Minh City — February 10-15

February 11: Field Class

A11—February 16: In the Wake of World War II field class assignment Question: Why did the end of the Pacific War cause such instability in Vietnam? Lawrence, 1-26; Hunt documents 1.7 (declaration), 1.10 (peasants)

Community Programming — February 17 (No Class)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — February 19-24

A12—February 25: Vietnam Against the French Question: Why did the French lose to the Vietnamese and what lessons might the Americans have learned from that loss? Lawrence, 27-46

A13—February 27: Debate: Should America Intervene? (Bernard Fall, Francis Fitzgerald, Bao Dai, Pham Van Dong [prime minister, North Vietnam)] John Foster Dulles, Ho Chi Minh, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Ngo Dinh Diem, Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, Margaret Chase Smith Question: Given what was known in 1954, should America have become involved in Vietnam? Lawrence, 47-66

Cochin, India — February 29 – March 5

A14—March 6: The U.S. Buildup debate paper due Question: What forces pulled the United States into an active war in the early 1960s? Lawrence, 67-90; Hunt documents 1.12 (Ho denunciation), 1.13 (U.S. position), 2.8 (Kennedy administration)

Community Programming — March 7 (No Class)

A15—March 9: All-out War Question: What forces and factors created the relative stalemate conditions between the Vietcong and the South Vietnamese armies? Lawrence, 91-114; Hunt documents 3.5 (Tonkin), 3.6 (Bundy on bombing), 4.3 (McNamara doubts), 4.8 (Nixon plots)

Port Louis, Mauritius — March 11

A16—March 12: The Tet Offensive Question: Who won the Tet battle: On the battlefield? On the psychological front? Lawrence, 115-136; Hunt documents, pp. 93-100 (Tet)

A17—March 14: Discussion: The soldier’s view quiz Hunt documents, pp. 123-160 (choose 8 entries, including at least 3 from each side)

A18—March 17: The War After Tet Question: How did the war’s dynamics change after 1968—and why? Lawrence, 137-159; Hunt document 7.1 (Le Duan)

Cape Town, South Africa — March 18-23

A19—March 25: Vietnam on America’s Campuses Question: What caused the spread of the anti-war movement in America and what effect did it have? Hunt documents 6.4 (MLK), 6.6 (Cronkite), 6.8 (Weathermen), 6.19 (Kent State), 6.11 (Kerry) Watch “Good Morning, Vietnam”

Study Day — March 26 (No Class)

A20—March 27: Debate: Should America Withdraw? (Martin Luther King Jr., Walter Cronkite, Jane Fonda, Pham Van Dong, Nguyen Van Thieu, Robert McNamara, Dickey Chapelle [war photographer], Lyndon B. Johnson, Senator Patrick Leahy, Hubert Humphrey, Joan Baez, Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu Question: By the late 1960s, what was the general public opinion, in Vietnam and in America, of the war? Hunt documents 7.3 (Ford), 7.4 (Le Duan)

A21—March 29: Peace Negotiations quiz, debate paper due Question: What issues drug out the peace negotiations for so long? Lawrence, 161-185

Takoradi, Ghana — March 30- April 1 Tema, Ghana — April 2-3

A22—April 5: Discussion: Looking Back at a Difficult Time indep field study Question: What were the implications of the war for both “winners” and “losers”? Hunt documents, 7.5 (Ky), 7.9 (Bao Ninh), 7.10 (Reagan), 7.11 (generals v. McNamara)

A23—April 7: The War’s Legacy Question: How did the war change America’s view of itself, as well as its attitudes toward the military and international relations? “Herbicide Legacy,” 1196-1197 (E); “Haunting Legacy,” 1793-1795 (E)

A24—April 9: How has Vietnam Changed the World? “Unending War,” 104-119 (E)

Casablanca, Morocco — April 11-14

Study Day — April 15 (No Class)

A25—April 16: Final Discussion: Comparing the Pacific Wars final paper due Question: What did these two wars have in common, and how did they differ?

Arrive Amsterdam, The Netherlands — April 20

FIELD WORK

Semester at Sea® field experiences allow for an unparalleled opportunity to compare, contrast, and synthesize the different cultures and countries encountered over the course of the voyage. In addition to the one field class, students will complete independent field assignments that span multiple countries.

Field Class & Assignment

The field class for this course is on Tuesday, 11 February 2020 in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

Field Class attendance is mandatory for all students enrolled in this course. Do not book individual travel plans or a Semester at Sea sponsored trip on the day of your field class. Field Classes constitute at least 20% of the contact hours for each course, and are developed and led by the instructor.

Title: The “Vietnam War,” as the Vietnamese saw it

Description: In order to learn about the way the Vietnamese understand their long war against first the French and then the Americans, we will visit sites that memorialize the war, the National Museum of Vietnam History and the War Remembrance Museum, after which we will spend time with a group of Vietnamese students for a discussion of what they have learned about the war.

Learning Objectives:  To understand how what Westerners call the “Vietnam War” fits into the broader Vietnamese historical context.  To gain insight into the way the Vietnamese interpret the war and why they interpret it that way.  To think through the differences between American and Vietnamese interpretations of the war: who is “right,” what causes the differences, what the broader implications of those differences are.

Field Class Assignment: You will write an essay in the form of a diary or journal entry in which you explore the preconceptions you brought to the class about the war in Vietnam, the new perspectives you encountered in the field class, and your own efforts to reconcile, or at least come to grips with, the differences. The entry should be 1,000 words in length and should be turned in on Moodle on Day 11. Feel free to illustrate your essay with photographs as long as the photos are related directly to what you are writing.

Independent Field Assignment: For your independent field assignment, you will write an essay of 1,000 to 1,200 words explaining what kinds of evidence you find of conflicts or cultural/political/economic clashes between people in the countries we visit and America’s expressions of power and influence—the kinds of tensions or pressure that could lead to conflicts such as those we are studying. You must describe such conflicts in at least four countries in addition to Vietnam. Though not required, quotations from local citizens (including guides) to whom you talk will strengthen this project. You also should visit places— museums, foreign churches, hotels, townships—that shed light on the topic in at least six of the countries we visit (including Vietnam). Continually ask yourself: How do the people here see Americans—and why? Your essay may include photographs as long as they relate directly to what you are writing. It should be turned in on Moodle on Day 22.

METHODS OF EVALUATION

In keeping with the Student Conduct Code (below), each assignment that you turn in should include the signed Honor Code statement, “I have not given, received, or used any unauthorized assistance.”

4 Quizzes 40 (10 each) (8%) These will be over either readings or identification terms suggested by the professor.

Korea test 60 (12%)

Field class 100 (20%) Note that the failure to participate in the field class will take a full 20% off your grade.

Independent field study 100 (20%)

Debate 50 (10%) For this, you will be assigned (on the basis of your preferences) a person whose persona and view you will express in an in-class debate. The 30-minute debates will be evaluated primarily on the quality of your information and power of your argument; keeping things lively is important too. During the class session after the debate, you should turn in, on Moodle, a 750-word essay on your person’s viewpoint.

Final paper 100 (20%) On Day 25, you will turn in, on Moodle, a 1,200-word paper comparing/contrasting the Korean and Vietnam Wars, with a focus on one well chosen topic. (Examples of possible topics: the role of ideological struggle in propelling the war, the relationship between World War II and the domestic hostilities, atrocities, the impact of the wars on America’s role in the world.) For material, you should draw on class sessions, class readings, field experiences, and your own research. The papers should follow the standard historical writing format, using the Chicago Manual of Style for citation; a bibliography should show the major written sources you have used.

Participation 50 (10%)

Attendance Each unexcused absence over 2 absences of any kind will result in a one percent deduction in your final average.

GRADING SCALE

The following Grading Scale is utilized for student evaluation. Pass/Fail is not an option for Semester at Sea® coursework. Note that C-, D+ and D- grades are also not assigned on Semester at Sea® in accordance with the grading system at Colorado State University (the SAS partner institution).

Pluses and minuses are awarded as follows on a 100% scale:

Excellent Good Satisfactory/Poor Failing 97-100%: A+ 87-89%: B+ 77-79%: C+ Less than 60%: F 93-96%: A 83-86%: B 70-76%: C 90-92%: A- 80-82%: B- 60-69%: D

ATTENDANCE/ENGAGEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Attendance in all Semester at Sea® classes, including the Field Class, is mandatory. Students must inform their instructors prior to any unanticipated absence and take the initiative to make up missed work in a timely fashion. Instructors must make reasonable efforts to enable students to make up work which must be accomplished under the instructor’s supervision (e.g., examinations, laboratories). In the event of a conflict in regard to this policy, individuals may appeal using established CSU procedures.

LEARNING ACCOMMODATIONS

Semester at Sea® provides academic accommodations for students with diagnosed learning disabilities, in accordance with ADA guidelines. Students who will need accommodations in a class, should contact ISE to discuss their individual needs. Any accommodation must be discussed in a timely manner prior to implementation.

A letter from students’ home institutions verifying the accommodations received on their home campuses (dated within the last three years) is required before any accommodation is provided on the ship. Students must submit verification of accommodations to [email protected] as soon as possible, but no later than two months prior to the voyage. More details can be found within the Course Registration Packet, as posted to the Courses and Field Classes page no later than one month prior to registration.

STUDENT CONDUCT CODE

The foundation of a university is truth and knowledge, each of which relies in a fundamental manner upon academic integrity and is diminished significantly by academic misconduct. Academic integrity is conceptualized as doing and taking credit for one’s own work. A pervasive attitude promoting academic integrity enhances the sense of community and adds value to the educational process. All within the University are affected by the cooperative commitment to academic integrity. All Semester at Sea® courses adhere to this Academic Integrity Policy and Student Conduct Code.

Depending on the nature of the assignment or exam, the faculty member may require a written declaration of the following honor pledge: “I have not given, received, or used any unauthorized assistance on this exam/assignment.”

RESERVE BOOKS FOR THE LIBRARY

AUTHOR: Bruce Cumings TITLE: The Korean War: A History PUBLISHER: Modern Library ISBN: 978-0-8129-7896-4 DATE/EDITION: 2011

AUTHOR: William Stueck TITLE: The Korean War: An International History PUBLISHER: Press ISBN: 0-691-01624-0 DATE/EDITION: 1995

AUTHOR: Bruce Cumings TITLE: Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History PUBLISHER: W. W. Norton ISBN: 0-393-31681-5 DATE/EDITION: 2005 paperback

AUTHOR: Marilyn Young, John Fitzgerald, A. Tom Grunfeld TITLE: The Vietnam War: A History in Documents PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press ISBN:0-19-512278-X DATE/EDITION: 2002

FILMS

Good Morning, Vietnam M*A*S*H*

ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS

AUTHOR: Sang-Hun Choe, Charles J. Hanley, Martha Mendoza ARTICLE TITLE: “2000 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Investigative Reporting” Article title: “War’s Hidden Chapter: Ex-GIs Tell of Killing Korean Refugees” JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: ; Pulitzer winners website: https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/sang-hun-choe-charles-j-hanley-and-martha-mendoza VOLUME: DATE: Sept. 29, 1999 PAGES: not numbered.

AUTHOR: John S. Brown ARTICLE TITLE: No Gun Ri Revisited: Historical Lessons for Today’s Army JOURNAL TITLE: Army History VOLUME: 55 DATE: Spring-Summer 2002 PAGES: 20-25

AUTHOR: Carol Gluck, Rana Mitter, Charles K. Armstrong ARTICLE TITLE: The Seventieth Anniversary of World War II’s End in Asia: Three Perspectives JOURNAL TITLE: Journal of Asian Studies VOLUME: 74, no. 3 DATE: August 2015 PAGES: 531-537

AUTHOR: Bruce Cumings CHAPTER TITLE: Requiem: History in the Temper of Reconciliation BOOK TITLE: The Korean War: A History VOLUME: DATE: 2011 PAGES: 223-243

AUTHOR: Colin Norman ARTICLE TITLE: Vietnam’s Herbicide Legacy JOURNAL TITLE: Science VOLUME: New series, vol. 219, no. 4589 DATE: March 11, 1983 PAGES: 1196-1197

AUTHOR: M. S. S. ARTICLE TITLE: Vietnam War and U.S.: Haunting Legacy JOURNAL TITLE: Economic and Political Weekly VOLUME: 36, no. 21 DATE: May 24-June 1, 2001 PAGES: 1793-1795

AUTHOR: George C. Herring ARTICLE TITLE: America and Vietnam: The Unending War JOURNAL TITLE: Foreign Affairs VOLUME: 70, no. 5 America and the Pacific DATE: Winter 1991 PAGES: 104-119 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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