Week One Assignment
Week One Assignment It has been said that one must recognize their history in order to understand the present and prepare for the future. Although our course is entitled “Vietnam & 20th Century Experience”, our course actually begins in the 19th century. This is because it is both necessary and helpful to study the context of prior history in order to understand that culture and the mindset that the people of that culture were in when decisions were made and actions were taken that led to significant events in their history.
Studying the prior history of Vietnam is important because we learn that Vietnam was completely under French rule by 1893 (Week One Lecture, 2013). Why was Vietnam such a prized possession to have? Vietnam’s location was significant within itself; Vietnam had “a strategic location astride major shipping lanes linking India, China, Japan, and the islands of Southeast Asia” and served as a source of foodstuffs and raw materials (Moss, 2010, p.2). We must put ourselves in the shoes of the Vietnamese people during this time and view these events from their point-of-view also. There were territorial wars including France, Japan, and eventually the United States which all treated Vietnam and the Vietnamese people as nothing more than property that they wanted to gain and maintain control of. No respect or value of their culture was held by any of these countries, which served as another reason that Vietnam sought national identity and independence. Studying the context of the prior history of Vietnam and what the participants of this history valued helps understand the elements that led to the independence of Vietnam. All of the information needed to understand the decisions made and the actions taken by the Vietnamese people to fight for their independence is gained through studying the context of their prior history.
The Vietnamese people were able to seize the opportunity at the best time to take control of their country. In
Studying the prior history of Vietnam is important because we learn that Vietnam was completely under French rule by 1893 (Week One Lecture, 2013). Why was Vietnam such a prized possession to have? Vietnam’s location was significant within itself; Vietnam had “a strategic location astride major shipping lanes linking India, China, Japan, and the islands of Southeast Asia” and served as a source of foodstuffs and raw materials (Moss, 2010, p.2). We must put ourselves in the shoes of the Vietnamese people during this time and view these events from their point-of-view also. There were territorial wars including France, Japan, and eventually the United States which all treated Vietnam and the Vietnamese people as nothing more than property that they wanted to gain and maintain control of. No respect or value of their culture was held by any of these countries, which served as another reason that Vietnam sought national identity and independence. Studying the context of the prior history of Vietnam and what the participants of this history valued helps understand the elements that led to the independence of Vietnam. All of the information needed to understand the decisions made and the actions taken by the Vietnamese people to fight for their independence is gained through studying the context of their prior history.
The Vietnamese people were able to seize the opportunity at the best time to take control of their country. In
References: Author Unkown. (2013). Week One Lecture: Visiting Historians In Far Away Lands. Retrieved July 11, 2013 from: http://www.devryu.net/re/DotNextLaunch.asp?courseid=8342622 &userid=8959412&sessionid=e1fb6397fc&tabid=HbRBDta63GaeRbxHbJhsQZLCWN9 2F0SYIJMcQUsi5DPr9IKa/C+BSIaXjYxlDGco&sessionFirstAuthStore=true&macid=b 08L4lGhfDFzpMFJC8elRdvLrLE1vo+rHL2tzWQYlbdGunvlcVn/pWm8MBYoDxZnPpj rZyjUqZr0Rc9+li1qs+Uq8cMokxXpVOg9oLg7AbeIheyYsQ6lrZB53b6sCP7dI3f6J5Rov ld/qJxGDVetbVn71TRyMsGkTv6ZUAFobcmcHtcwdHJiS0Sg/P6Fl0ttS++dKD9TNH+ OrFUF6t74qbWd376jL00o7V9ycRf3P50= Moss, G. D. (2010). Vietnam: An American Ordeal (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.