All students are required to read the chapters of the main text (DeGroot) and the chapters of the supplemental texts (Logevall and Hall) assigned on the syllabus calendar of readings.

Each of the supplemental texts (Logevall and Hall) has a section of primary source documents. The two written assignments that all students will complete during the course come from the supplemental texts, assignment #1 from Logevall and assignment #2 from Hall.

For written assignment #1, students will choose ONLY ONE of the following FIVE documents to complete.

1. The founding of the Vietnam Doc-Lap Dong Minh Hoi (Vietminh) in June 1941 was a major event in the history of Southeast Asia. Read Document #1 (Logevall). To whom were the Vietminh speaking? What were the major points raised by the Vietminh? What did they want? Were their plans effective? Who was the main target in this war of words? Why?
   
   
2. A great deal can be learned from a nation's Declaration of Independence. Read Document #2 (Logevall). Why was this declaration so similar to the American Declaration of Independence? What did this document mean? What were its authors trying to accomplish? What were Ho Chi Minh's primary concerns? Who was his audience for this speech? Explain
   
   
3. Reread Document #8 (Logevall), the Final Declaration of the Geneva Conference, to determine what was "declared" on July 21, 1954? What steps were to follow the conference? What was the precise status of Vietnam? Why do you think the United States refused to join in the Final Declaration? Why was America standing apart at Geneva?
   
   
4. Madame Nhu once argued that "you open a window to let in light and air, not bullets. We want freedom, but we don't want to be exploited by it." Did she think that freedom was worthwhile? What did she mean by being "exploited" by it? For view of Diem's government, read Document #10 (Logevall). What did the National Liberation Front hate? How would they have reacted to Madame Nhu's comments? What were their goals for society? What did they consider progress to be?
   
   
5. Within his first month in office, President Johnson learned that the situation in South Vietnam had greatly deteriorated as noted in Document #15 (Logevall). What were the problems in South Vietnam? Why hadn't the situation been resolved? What could be done to improve things? What did people think would happen if the United States did nothing?

Since your papers will be turned in via the internet using copy and paste, they will not retain any special formatting, like bold, italics, underlining, centering, or superscripting.  This is fine in that none of these are required on your papers.  You will, however, have to make two very important adjustments as you type your papers.

#1  Instead of clicking a <return> and <tab> on your keyboard at the end of one paragraph and the start of another, simply put an extra blank line between paragraphs by clicking <return> <return> at the end of a paragraph.

#2  Footnote your sources within the text of your papers by following the direct quote or referenced sentence(s)/paragraph with an open parenthesis, author/source, page number, close parenthesis.  
Examples.  
"Recognizing an opportunity, Ho returned to Vietnam in February, 1941." (DeGroot, 24)
"In the states, children play cowboys and indians.  In Vietnam, the children play it for real." (Video #1, U.S. soldier)