Sorry for the lack of posts during these past two months, but it has been a busy academic year. Three semesters in to the PhD program, and with one more to go, my energy has been directed towards completing the remain coursework requirements. As for progress on figuring out my dissertation topic, I am leaning towards following the approach of historians like Mark Atwood Lawrence and Eugenie M. Blang. These scholars examined the European connections to America’s Vietnam War. I hope to more fully explore the British Commonwealth’s role in the Vietnam War by incorporating Australia and Canada into a study of America’s waging of the war in Vietnam. Much like my earlier musings on the selection of a dissertation topic, I hope to have a more developed idea after I complete course and examination requirements.
The Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies (LCMSDS) has been featuring the research interests of current and former Laurier graduate students on the centre’s blog. Earlier this week, LCMSDS posted my thoughts on the Vietnam War and America’s Cold War relationship with Australia. My thought piece is an overview of how I understand the Vietnam War in a Cold War/Pacific World context. So go read my ideas and those of my LCMSDS friends.
Several months ago, I started a discussion on the best war related songs. Since then, I have come across the video for The Chameleon’s Up The Down Escalator. A reflection of the Cold War arms race and the likelihood of nuclear annihilation, Up The Down Escalator broadcasts a strong anti-war message. The song highlights a generation’s mounting frustration with a world working towards destroying itself.
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Recently I discussed three possible dissertation topics. In the short time since that post, I have put more thought into exploring the North Vietnam’s 1968 Test Offensive from a multinational perspective. The legacy of Tet ’68 is a controversial topic in Vietnam War historiography, with orthodox scholars viewing the offensive as a significant defeat for US forces in Vietnam. Lately, I have been wondering if Australia saw Tet ’68 as a defeat, or a victory. More importantly, what role did Australian forces play in pushing back North Vietnam Army and Viet Cong troops? Ultimately I want to demonstrate the Vietnam War as conflict with global repercussions and not purely as an American war. Doing so might help place Tet ’68, and perhaps the entire Vietnam War, into a Pacific history perspective. Again, this is just the initial thought process and nothing concrete. I will write a post on Tet ’68 once I have a firmer grasp on the offensive and it’s legacy.
At some point during this semester my dissertation topic must be narrowed down into an original research project. In the most basic sense, my dissertation will deal with the relationship between the United States and Australia during the Vietnam War. Wanting to better understand how the US Army and the Australian forces in Vietnam worked together is not groundbreaking. Ideally, I would like to demonstrate that the Vietnam War was not just a US issue, but rather a conflict that tested America’s relationship with the Commonwealth, particularly Australia. As a result, I need a new angle to examine the military relations between the two Allies.
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Synopsis
The purpose of Thompson Werk is to present the musings of a US War and Society doctoral student. Discussion topics principally center around the World Wars and Vietnam.
The opinions expressed on this site are not be confused with those of my colleagues, employers, friends, family, and/or anyone else associated with me.
Contact me with any comments, complaints, and/or questions.
Responses
- Robert: Everyone needs to see Vietnam,
- Ross Mahoney: Sounds like it is another
- Robert: My original post omitted the
- Robert: Hey Ross, Vietnam is a
- Ross Mahoney: Robert it looks like a
