Dr Richard Saich

This course is available on the BA in History, BA in Social Anthropology, BSc in History and Politics, BSc in International Relations and History, BSc in Politics and History and BSc in Social Anthropology. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

Based on a variety of primary sources, and a wide range of secondary reading, this course will explore US attitudes and policies towards and during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

The problems of limited war; the origins of the Korean War; Truman and the decision to intervene; Inchon and the decision to cross the 38th parallel; the Chinese intervention and its consequences; the US home front during the Korean War; the Truman-MacArthur Controversy; Korea and US Cold War strategy: NSC-68, NATO, and ‘The Great Debate’; fighting while negotiating, 1951-53; legacies; JFK and Vietnam; LBJ and the decision to escalate; LBJ as Commander in Chief; the war on the ground in Vietnam: ‘search and destroy’ versus ‘hearts and minds’; the Tet Offensive; the media and military at war; the US home front during the Korean War; Vietnam and US Cold War strategy: détente and triangular diplomacy; fighting while negotiating, 1969-73; legacies.

20 hours of seminars in the AT. 20 hours of seminars in the WT. 1 hour of seminars in the ST.

There will be a reading week in the Autumn and the Winter Terms.

Students will be required to write two essays and two gobbet exercises during the year.

A detailed course outline and reading list, as well as handouts, will be available as the start of the course.  The following works are recommended: Steven Casey, Selling the Korean War (2008); William Stueck, Rethinking the Korean War (2002); Burton I. Kaufman, The Korean War: Challenges in Crisis, Credibility and Command (1986, or later edition); Rosemary Foot, The Wrong War: American Policy and the Dimensions of the Korean Conflict, 1950-53 (1985); George Herring, America’s Longest War (various editions); David L. Anderson, Shadow on the White House: Presidents and the Vietnam War (1993); David L. Anderson (ed), The Columbia History of the Vietnam War (2011); Robert J. McMahon, The Limits of Empire: The United States and Southeast Asia since World War II (1999).

Exam (100%, duration: 3 hours).