HIST 498 sec. 3SY - THE VIETNAM WAR: U.S. POLICY, AMERICAN SOCIETY, AND POPULAR CULTURE

The Vietnam War changed how Americans viewed war, combat, American exceptionalism, and themselves.  This course will examine Vietnam in the context of the Cold War.  Our focus is U.S. foreign policy, how the war heightened existing social and political tensions within the U.S., and the enormous cultural implications of American involvement in Vietnam.  We will examine government documents, memoirs, protest music, and art, as well as literature and films about the period, including The Quiet American, Apocalypse Now, and Full Metal Jacket.  This is a writing intensive course.