The Lessons of Vietnam

Starr Ch. 1Introduction to Vietnam :Land, History and Culture

(The Land – Angkor)

What had to be the most popularquestion of the 1960’s?

• Answer: Why are we in Vietnam?

• Vietnam is 1,000 Miles long from North to South

• It is less than 100 miles wide in some areas

The Geography of Vietnam:• Vietnam is an “S”

shaped nation within the tropics.

• It’s temperatures usually average in the 80’s-90’s.

• It has the Truong Son mountains ( Central Highlands), coastal plains, jungles and swamps.

“The Two Rice Baskets of Vietnam”

Vietnam’s Rivers:The Red River

The Mekong River

Life in the Mekong

Vietnam’s Population is about 85.5 MillionRed areas indicate highest population density

What is the staple crop of Vietnam?

Answer: Rice

The Vietnamese Language

• Vietnamese is the only major language that is tonal ( six tones)and uses a Latin alphabet.

• Vietnamese is a separate language in the world family of languages

History and Culture•Who is Vietnam’s “Great Neighbor” to the North?

Vietnam was part of China for over 1,000 years

• Vietnam is still wary today of the People’s Republic of China.

• Vietnam fought a brief border war with the “Chicoms” in 1979.

• 30,000 Vietnamese and Chinese troops were killed.

Vietnamese Education• Historically,

education in Vietnam was based on the Confucian education system designed to train Civil Servants for government work.

Confucian Temple in Beijing

Government High School in Hue

School at Buddhist Temple outside of Hue

Historically , how have the Chinese viewed Vietnam?

• As inferior, but this was a typical Chinese view towards anything outside the “ Middle Kingdom”.

• In 950 A.D., the Vietnamese drive out the Chinese and establish the Dai Viet, or independent greater Vietnam.

The Dai Viet

The Dai Viet, while politically independent, was sill culturally influenced by China.

Confucian Philosophy

• Based on the teachings of Kong Fuzi ( “ Master Kong”)

• Emphasis is on education and family.

• The community is more important than the individual.

The Dao /Tao

• “ The Way”

• Based on the teachings of Lao Tzu

• It also informed the political ideals of ancient China and Vietnam

The Emperor• In ancient Vietnam,

the Emperor was not absolute, but was to rule with wisdom and compassion.

• He was to be governed by the Dao.

• He was to respect good morals and traditions

Bao Dai, the last Emperor of Vietnam

The Confucian System• Ancient Vietnam

used the rigorous Confucian examination system to select Civil Servants for important government posts based on their level of political, social, historical and moral knowledge.

“The March to the South”

• Historically, the expansion of the Vietnamese state has been in this direction.

• The Champa was an Indianized trading state that rivaled the ancient Dai Viet and eventually was overcome by the Vietnamese

Angkor• Angkor, located

where modern day Cambodia is today, was a large and powerful state, but declined in the 1400’s and were forced back by the Vietnamese