HIST 390 gives essentially equal attention to Vietnam and to the United States. It also gives significant attention to social, political, economic, diplomatic, and cultural developments–i.e., this is not a traditional “military history” course. It begins its coverage about three thousand years ago and then weaves together the histories of the United States and Vietnam. Thus, much of the course is an explanation of what led to the conflicts–political, social, and military–in Vietnam after World War II and to the United States’ intervention in that fighting.

NOTE: This website was created for an earlier version of HIST 390. Most of its material is relevant to the spring 2024 class, and the instructional videos apply (although there are occasional differences, including ten essays in 2024 vs. twelve). Note explanations in class for (slight) variations.

In addition, do not “read ahead” in Extras as some items are dated and not relevant to the spring 2024 assignments and focus.