Introduction

US History – The Vietnam War, 1945-75

In this course, Professor Mark Atwood Lawrence (University of Texas at Austin) explores the American experience in Vietnam. We start by introducing the Vietnam War and explaining its significance for the United States. In the following modules we will then explore five key questions: (i) why was there a crisis in Vietnam?; (ii) why did Vietnam matter to the United States?; (iii) why did the United States fail to achieve its objectives in Vietnam?; (iv) how did the United States end its commitment in Vietnam?; and (v) what were the legacies of the war for the United States?

Introduction

In this module, we introduce the topic of the Vietnam War and establish why the war was so significant for the United States. The Vietnam War fundamentally altered how the US exerted its power on the global stage. The war also opened up international and domestic divisions which last to today. We then establish the five questions that we will examine in the lecture: (i) why was there a crisis in Vietnam?; (ii) why did Vietnam matter to the United States?; (iii) why did the United States fail to achieve its objectives in Vietnam?; (iv) how did the United States end its commitment in Vietnam?; and (v) what were the legacies of the war for the United States?