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Vietnam: Race, Violence and Decolonization in a Mekong Delta at War, 1945-54

Friday, September 30, 2022 | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

McMillan Cafe

We often like to think of decolonization in terms of binary struggles between European oppressors and indigenous resistance. But what happens when an anticolonial war is combined with a civil war? Based on extensive research on three continents and in three languages (Vietnamese, French, and English), this lecture focuses on the “forgotten” part of the First Indochina War (1945-54): the war for the Mekong delta, the heart of southern Vietnam. It examines the interactions between existing racial and ethnic stereotypes and a dynamic of violence on an unstable agricultural frontier. This mix led to a particularly vicious war for the countryside, and led to massive out-migration from the delta. Understanding this conflict helps us understand the strange birth of South Vietnam (1954-1975).

The speaker is the author of two books and a range of articles on Vietnamese cultural, social, and political history. His latest work is The First Vietnam War: Violence, Sovereignty, and the Fracture of the South, 1945-56 (Cambridge University Press, 2021).

Shawn McHale, a specialist in Southeast Asian History is a Professor in the Dept of History and International Affairs, at The George Washington University and Thanks for your assistance.

Schools

Arts & Sciences

Topic

Humanities & Society

Website

https://artsci.wustl.edu/events/vietn...

Event Contact

viteri@wustl.edu

Speaker Information
Global Studies Speaker Series, Dept. of East Asian Languages and Cultures and History Dept. Present Professor Shawn McHale
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