[Tlc] On the term "the American War"

[Shawn McHale]

Dear list, 

Tzianeng Vang, raises the question: " will the SE Asian scholars on this listserv or anyone that is involve with SE Asian Studies hereafter ever consider adopting
 the name "American War" instead of the "Vietnam War?"" He suggests that in Southeast Asia, calling this war the "American War" is quite common. 

First a story, then on to an answer. Two weeks ago, I was hiking with my family in Bach Ma National Forest, near Hue. We passed by a cave, next to which was a sign that said the cave was used by Resistance Fighters during the American War. The cave was in use from the end of 1973 to 1975. 

It struck me then and there how inappropriate it was to say that at the cave was in use during the "American" war. For it was \not. Americans still played roles, but in 1973 they withdrew all combat troops from Indochina. To call the period from 1973 to 1975 the "American War" flies in the face of reality. The US still played a key role, yes -- but whose troops were confronting whose troops on the ground? When the war concluded, whose troops triumphed over whose? 

But the term "American War" isn't just a problem for 1973 to 1975. It is a problem for any time after 1954. To call the wars the "American" wars is to de-emphasize the elements of civil war and accentuate the significance of outside intervention. That is the standard Vietnamese historical approach.  Americans, in contrast, call it the Vietnam War, which is inaccurate as the wars spilled beyond Vietnam. For lack of a better alternative, I have preferred to call these wars the "Wars for Indochina."  The First, Second, and Third Indochina Wars were regional wars. Different actors at different times, but all were working out the disaggregation of the former French Indochina. Second, all of these wars had a civil war component to them. And third, all of them involved outside powers. Some might complain that this alternative de-emphasizes the American role in the wars. Point well taken -- but calling these the "American Wars" is a worse alternative. 

I can only speak to the writings in Vietnamese, not having the ability to read Lao, Hmong, or Khmer, but what astonishes me again and again is how much Vietnamese historical writing today on these wars gives a caricatured view of the period from 1945 to 1975. 



Shawn McHale 
Associate Professor of History and International Affairs
George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052 USA
(on leave, 2007-08, at Vietnam National University --
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)


----- Original Message -----
From: "Maxner, Steve" <steve.maxner at ttu.edu>
Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 2:26 am
Subject: Re: [Tlc] Vietnam Center and Archive
To: Txiabneeb Vaj <txiabneeb at gmail.com>
Cc: tlc at lists.ucr.edu


> Dear Tzianeng Vang:
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you very much for your message and for raising this interesting
> question.  I think this is mostly a matter of perspective and the name
> used in describing this or any war must provide clarity for the user and
> audience.  When we travel to SEA, especially Viet Nam, when in
> discussions with students and scholars there about this war, we use
> their reference point and call it "the American War."  However, when
> here in the US, if we called it "the American war" - it would be very
> confusing to an American audience.  Which "American" war would we be
> discussing since all of the wars that the US has been involved in have
> been "American."  Perhaps we could change the name to the
> American-Vietnam War - but that is redundant to an American audience.
> 
>  
> 
> Further, I am not sure it is accurate to call this "the American War."
> The Republic of Vietnam was very heavily engaged in this war and lost
> many more thousands of their soldiers in the fighting than did the US 
> -
> and there were other country forces from Australia, South Korea, and
> elsewhere.  To call it "the American War" is to negate the important
> role of these other nations in this war, especially the former Republic
> of Vietnam.
> 
>  
> 
> Just my two cents...
> 
>  
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> 
> Steve
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> From: Txiabneeb Vaj [ 
> Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 11:41 AM
> To: Maxner, Steve
> Cc: tlc at lists.ucr.edu
> Subject: Re: [Tlc] Vietnam Center and Archive
> 
>  
> 
> Greeting:
> 
> For all of the (SE Asian) scholars out there; by SE Asian scholars I
> mean anyone who studies SE Asian's and not just those of us who are SE
> Asian descents. In the western world, US especially, it is called the
> Vietnam War, but in Asia or at least in the regions/areas that I am
> familiar with in SE Asia, it is referred to as the American War; the
> same goes with World War II; the Hmong in Laos called it the Japan 
> War. 
> 
> 651.238.5300
> 
> On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 6:53 AM, Maxner, Steve <steve.maxner at ttu.edu>
> wrote:
> 
> Greetings:
> 
> I am new to this list and I wanted to provide a brief introduction to
> you regarding our project.
> 
> Since 1989, the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech has been promoting the
> study and preserving the history of the US experience in Vietnam,
> especially during the Vietnam War.  Since that time, we have collected
> more than 20 million pages of material in our traditional archive, have
> more than 500 interviews in our oral history project, and provide free
> online access to nearly 3 million pages of archival material via our
> Virtual Vietnam Archive.  I must admit that, in some ways, I regret the
> current name of our project, "The Vietnam Center and Archive" as it is
> too restrictive in terms of our actual missions and scope.  We changed
> it to this shorter name in the mid-1990s as our board felt the previous
> name was too long - the Center for the Study of the Vietnam Conflict.
> While it was longer, it was also far more accurate in describing our
> work which involves the entire theater and all nations involved - to
> include Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.  We have many archival collections
> that cover historical events and activities in Laos, Cambodia, and
> Thailand.  In addition, our current activities to promote the study of
> the role of the US in Southeast Asia as well as reconciliation between
> our nations includes scholarships and other university projects in
> Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
> 
> You can learn more about our project online here:  www.vietnam.ttu.edu
> <> 
> 
> I hope you will visit our website and I look forward to participating 
> in
> this discussion about Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
>  
> 
> Steve  
> 
> Stephen Maxner, Ph.D.
> Director
> The Vietnam Center
> 
> The Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University
> Special Collections Library Room 108
> 15th and Detroit
> Lubbock, TX  79409-1041
> 
> Phone:  806-742-9010
> Fax:  806-742-0496
> Email:  steve.maxner at ttu.edu
> Website:  www.vietnam.ttu.edu  
> 
> 
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> 
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