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The Vietnam War

Explore the losses and legacies of the war in Vietnam.
 
 
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great Course; Difficult Subject I believe that Professor McManus did an excellent job with a very difficult and controversial subject. He provided significant background to help the student understand what was to come. He covered the social, political, and military aspects of the long conflict in a very unbiased. objective narrative. This objectivity alone should rate the course 5 Stars. I do believe that the class on the Tet Offensive should have mentioned that one of North's objectives was to influence the US Presidential election in 1968. They were successful in doing so, and were masters of influencing US and World public opinion. He did address their attempt to influence the 1972 election, which was not successful. He also did a great job of detailing the civil unrest in the chapter "American Anti-War Movement." A significant omission, however, was not mentioning that the radical group, the Weathermen, actually met with the North Vietnamese in Cuba in the Summer of 1969. This is well documented to include pictures of Bernadette Dorn with North Vietnamese officials. The "Days of Rage" followed a few months later. But, in the end, "It don't mean nothing." From someone who fought as a combat infantry officer during Tet "68, spoke at a college history class about the Tet Offensive many times, and returned to Vietnam later, I highly recommend this course.
Date published: 2025-05-21
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Sombre yet illuminating As a Canadian the war did not directly impact me yet it was constantly on the news as I matured from a teen to an adult during its most intense period, turning 18 in 1971. This course covers the warp and weft of the conflict, from the leaders on both sides to the 'grunts' and airmen at the pointed end, from the earliest failed French colonization to the bitter end, from the highlands, jungles, rice paddies and villages to the White House, with many poignant images and anecdotes from participants. Well balanced, the course gave me a much wider perspective of a provocative chapter in the history of the Cold War.
Date published: 2024-12-13
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Very Informative, fresh perspective. While the professor is a skilled academician, the terrible misspellings and awful subtitles distract from my reason for engaging in this subject (of interest to me for 40 years.) I have been a student of the great courses for over 20 years and they have done a terrible disservice to the professor and his students. Frankly, I expected better.
Date published: 2024-12-04
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Superb course. I have taken several hundred Teaching Company courses over the years. This is one of the superb ones. Provides excellent depth and breadth to a complex and fraught subject. My only (minor) criticism is the course omits a lecture on the role of the American media's coverage of the war. A worthy subject, in its own right. In the end, it appears very difficult and perhaps impossible for a country like the U.S. to pursue a seemingly never-ending war, whatever its merits.
Date published: 2024-11-07
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Balanced, informative, and compelling Professor McManus covers the background, personalities, trajectory, and repercussions of the war in an enlightening and objective manner. It’s a heart-breaking story, of course, and it’s difficult to feel sympathy for some of the participants, however committed or pragmatic they tried to be. Still, all Americans (and others) should study this war and try to learn from history. This is a very good place to start.
Date published: 2024-09-10
Rated 4 out of 5 by from Good. objective information, but... I found the information to be good, thorough, and it felt objective. I disagree with a reviewer who seemed to find fault with the fact that the lecturer didn't live through the events. Historians are supposed to be objective, rather than let their person experiences color their work. If the lecturer was easier on Nixon than the reviewer would have been, maybe that's where objective history takes us. I appreciated the balanced look at the leaders of the time, even when they made poor choices. I do have a gripe with this lecturer, which is that he seems to be reading most of the time, and doesn't sound natural at all. In fact, he quite often emphasizes words that don't make sense in context, as if he doesn't even know what he's about to say, or thinks that emphasising random words makes the content more engaging. This may sound petty, but it happened over and over, and took me away from the content. Like if someone says, "Rather than EATING a banana, I ate a pear." It was distracting.
Date published: 2024-08-13
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Outstanding lectures I am a Vietnam veteran having spent 15 months in country. I thought I knew a lot about the history of Vietnam but what I knew only scratched the surface. This course taught me much more. I have listened to well over 100 courses and I have to say this was the best one of all.
Date published: 2024-05-02
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Extraordinary and Unforgettable Wow - just wow. This is a fascinating, penetrating, and unforgettable account of the Vietnam War (as we in America call it). Lecturer McManus delivers a genuinely masterful review of historical details and a moving and engaging analysis of events. He always sees the “big picture” while offering illuminating details about individual actors, including the “everyman” (and “everywoman”). He apparently is reading prepared text, but does so in an engaging and captivating manner. There is not a single “um” or “ah” (which don’t bother me anyway, but seem to trouble some listeners.) The visuals were quite helpful, but not critical to having a truly remarkable experience if you choose to listen. I came to this course with a decent understanding of the Vietnam War - but this course was nothing less than mind expanding and transformative. Notwithstanding the inescapably heartbreaking dimension to this chapter iof World History, I can affirm I absolutely loved this course.
Date published: 2024-02-19
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The Vietnam War

Trailer

A Half-Century Cataclysm

01: A Half-Century Cataclysm

The war in Vietnam was a human tragedy that wreaked havoc on its participants and witnesses. In the course’s inaugural lecture, examine the conflict from the bottom-up by exploring a constellation of people intimately connected to the fighting, and zero in on what war could reveal about the human condition.

29 min
French Indochina and the Viet Minh

02: French Indochina and the Viet Minh

Survey the economic exploitation and repression that came to define Vietnam in the 19th and early 20th centuries. See how the Vietnamese, including the famed communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh, resisted their occupiers with help from the United States. And learn about the tense political situation that emerged in Vietnam following World War II.

30 min
Dien Bien Phu and Vietnam Divided, 1953–1959

03: Dien Bien Phu and Vietnam Divided, 1953–1959

Examine mid-century Vietnam from the First Indochina War to the October 1955 referendum. Reconstruct the Battle of Dien Bien Phu from both French and Vietnamese perspectives. Study how the international community reckoned with a newly divided Vietnam. And survey the emergent political landscape in North and South Vietnam.

28 min
Five Leaders Who Defined the Vietnam War

04: Five Leaders Who Defined the Vietnam War

Explore the makings of war in Vietnam through five major players, starting with Vietnamese leaders Ho Chi Minh and Le Duan in the north and Ngo Dinh Diem in the south. Then, travel across the world to see how two successive US presidents viewed and experienced the escalating conflict.

29 min
The Rise of the Viet Cong, 1959–1962

05: The Rise of the Viet Cong, 1959–1962

Why did the northern Vietnamese government decide to wage guerilla war in the south, and how did its adversaries respond? What was the Viet Cong and what role did it play in the conflict? And how did the United States contend with escalating tensions in Vietnam?

27 min
South Vietnam in Crisis, 1963

06: South Vietnam in Crisis, 1963

In 1963, South Vietnam careened toward crisis. Dig into the ARVN’s deficiencies from lackluster military commanders to political legitimacy. Investigate the religious tensions that plagued South Vietnam and its leader, Ngo Dinh Diem. And explore the contentious relationship between US leadership and Diem’s government.

28 min
The Gulf of Tonkin and a Crossroads, 1964

07: The Gulf of Tonkin and a Crossroads, 1964

From the Gulf of Tonkin incident to Rolling Thunder, explore the ways in which escalating tensions on the ground in Vietnam and domestic political considerations in the United States led to more costly confrontations on the Indochinese Peninsula. Examine how the specter of communism in neighboring Indonesia shaped calculations made by the United States.

28 min
The Vietnam War in the Skies

08: The Vietnam War in the Skies

While the United States boasted an impressive air force, its air campaign struggled when confronted by VC forces. Here, investigate the specifics of America’s air campaign throughout the Johnson administration, as well as the roles played by China and the USSR in helping North Vietnam circumvent American aggression in the skies.

28 min
America Goes All In, 1965

09: America Goes All In, 1965

America, terrified by the prospect of losing South Vietnam in the global struggle against communism, dove headfirst into war in 1965. What were the forces at play—politically, militarily, even interpersonally—that led to such a consequential decision? And how did the Unites States plan to fight a conventional war in Vietnam?

30 min
The World of the American Combat Soldier

10: The World of the American Combat Soldier

Spend some time with the Vietnam War’s often overlooked but incredibly important participants: combat soldiers. Construct a thorough portrait of a typical American grunt from his daily routine in wartime to where he stood in the greater military hierarchy and see how ordinary soldiers weathered brutal combat over the course of a typical 12-month tour.

26 min
The World of the Vietnamese Combat Soldier

11: The World of the Vietnamese Combat Soldier

How did Vietnamese combat soldiers in both the North and South think about and experience war? Follow Vietnamese military recruits from initial enlistment to guerilla combat in the tunnels of South Vietnam and see how the VC and ARVN operated at a granular level.

29 min
Guns, Gear, and Food in the Vietnam War

12: Guns, Gear, and Food in the Vietnam War

From garments to guns, what kinds of tools did soldiers in Vietnam have available to them? Did the VC and United States differ in the types of gadgets and technologies they gave their combat soldiers? And how did soldiers on both sides manage to feed themselves in the deep and winding jungles of Vietnam?

27 min
False Optimism, Failing Strategies, 1966–1967

13: False Optimism, Failing Strategies, 1966–1967

Zoom outward to take stock of the overall situation in Vietnam between 1966 and 1967. See where fighting was fiercest from the DMZ to Hill 875. Examine how the United States approached battle through a series of expansive operations. And take stock of how leaders from President Johnson to North Vietnam’s Le Duan felt about the war, at that point.

28 min
How to Fight an Asymmetric War

14: How to Fight an Asymmetric War

How does one fight and ultimately win an asymmetrical war? And what exactly is an asymmetrical war, anyway? Tactics: Learn about the military strategies deployed by the North Vietnamese army. Examine the ways in which the strategies differed from US approaches and investigate how America and the ARVN responded to them.

28 min
The Tet Offensive, 1968

15: The Tet Offensive, 1968

Perhaps one of the most consequential campaigns in the entire Vietnam War was the so-called Tet Offensive in 1968. Dive into this extraordinary communist attack. What happened? Who was involved? To what extent did it fail militarily? And how did this meticulously planned and highly coordinated siege change the course of the war?

28 min
America in Turmoil, 1968

16: America in Turmoil, 1968

The year 1968 was difficult for ordinary Americans—not just in terms of Vietnam. Survey the tense domestic political landscape in the United States, with special focus on President Johnson. Explore why peace negotiations to end the war in Vietnam ultimately failed. And dive into the 1968 presidential election.

28 min
Race, Culture, and Women in the Vietnam War

17: Race, Culture, and Women in the Vietnam War

The 1960s and 1970s were socially and culturally transformative. Explore the ways in which war in Vietnam exposed racial and gender inequities within the United States, fueling a series of movements for not only equal rights but also peace, and examine how the US presence in Vietnam altered the social and cultural landscape there, as well.

31 min
The Antiwar Movement in America

18: The Antiwar Movement in America

Disapproval of the war in Vietnam coalesced into a powerful, if ultimately diffuse and incohesive, movement. But who were the personalities and groups behind the struggle? What sort of protest tactics did the more militant anti-war groups deploy? And did such profound anti-war sentiment impact the scale and scope of fighting at all?

29 min
Nixon and Vietnamization, 1969

19: Nixon and Vietnamization, 1969

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, America pursued a new strategy in Vietnam, hoping to reform the South from within. Examine the imperfect but steady democratization of South Vietnam. Define and evaluate Richard Nixon’s policy of “Vietnamization.” And explore the events and decisions that led up to the bombing of Cambodia.

29 min
The Race against Time, 1970

20: The Race against Time, 1970

In 1970, the United States found itself in a difficult position. Still, a North Vietnam victory was by no means inevitable. Evaluate the allied position in the war at the start of the 1970s, from the surprising strength of South Vietnam to the invasion of Cambodia, and see how anti-war advocates tempered US involvement.

26 min
America Pulls Back, the North Strikes, 1971–1972

21: America Pulls Back, the North Strikes, 1971–1972

After Cambodia, the burden of combat fell to the AVRN, while morale among US troops hit an all-time low. Reconstruct the Lam Son 719 operation in Laos and the Easter Offensive. Survey the problems that plagued US servicemen in Vietnam. And dive into bombshell investigations like Winter Soldier and the Pentagon Papers.

29 min
The Bitter End, 1972–1975

22: The Bitter End, 1972–1975

Nixon knew by 1972 that US involvement in Vietnam had to end. But how it would end, and exactly when, was up for debate. Evaluate national security advisor Henry Kissinger’s role in procuring a ceasefire in Vietnam. Explore the lead up to the Paris Peace Accords in 1973. And track the fall of South Vietnam to the communists.

29 min
Vietnam’s Casualties, Prisoners, and MIA

23: Vietnam’s Casualties, Prisoners, and MIA

With the dust of war settled, how many ultimately died or went missing in Vietnam? Investigate the human consequences of the conflict from POWs to casualties, evaluating the effectiveness of allied and NVA hospitals in treating wounded soldiers along with the treatment of prisoners in Vietnamese camps.

29 min
Vietnam Becomes a Country, Not Just a War

24: Vietnam Becomes a Country, Not Just a War

Survey the post-war issues while the United States attempted to recover from war, tracking the initial alienation of Vietnam vets in America to their acceptance in mainstream America. Conclude by focusing on post-war Vietnam. What happened to the South and her people? And what did normalized relations between the United States and Vietnam look like?

32 min

Overview Course No. 8713

The war in Vietnam was initially a localized civil conflict—a bloody and brutal contest for state control between the communist government in the north and a Western-backed republican government in the south. But the war quickly became a global event. American involvement in the skies and on the ground sowed deep discontent and discord back home. Bombing campaigns spilled into neighboring Laos and Cambodia. Defense systems and new tech flowed to North Vietnam from major communist powers like China and the USSR. And a broad swath of ordinary people both inside of and beyond Vietnam—private citizens, army grunts, peace activists—were profoundly impacted by the fighting there.

In The Vietnam War, you will learn about the causes and consequences of the war in Vietnam. You will explore the scope of American intervention from air campaigns to large-scale military operations on the ground. You will survey the history of Vietnam from colonial Indochina onward, getting to know the homegrown ideas, personalities, and politics that would come to shape the conflict. You will reconstruct major military operations like the Tet Offensive and Rolling Thunder. You will examine the strategies used by US, South Vietnamese, and VC troops and determine their effectiveness in both the short and long term. And you will head to America to investigate the domestic politics of war, alongside the rise of a powerful anti-war movement that would come to define the decade.

That’s not all. Dive into the human dimensions of war, unearthing the experiences of everyday people bound up in and touched by the conflict in Vietnam. Explore the everyday life of a US combat soldier living and warring in Vietnam. Construct a portrait of your everyday VC soldier, from his socioeconomic background to the kinds of food he ate along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. And follow veterans as they resettle back into American society, despite maltreatment and personal trauma. The Vietnam War is not just a history lesson on one singular event; you will engage in an exploration of war itself and the kind of impact it can have on ordinary hearts, minds, and spirits.

About

John C. McManus
John C. McManus

Yesterday's lessons are tomorrow's courses of action.

INSTITUTION

Missouri University of Science and Technology

John C. McManus is the Curators’ Distinguished Professor of US Military History at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He earned a PhD in History from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is a specialist in modern American military history, focusing on World War II through the present and emphasizing ground combat soldiers. He is the author of 14 books on military history, including Fire and Fortitude, which won the Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History. He also hosts Someone Talked!, a podcast on military affairs.

By This Professor

The Vietnam War
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