Vietnam: The Struggle for National Identity

Vietnam, with its recent history of continual conflict, has stirred intense interest among scholars and politicians, journalists and general readers alike. Millions of Vietnamese children have grown to adulthood carrying memories of bloodshed, terror, bombing, and dislocation. The U.S. intervention there divided public opinion throughout the world, affecting human values, national economies, presidential prospects, and military strategies. The spectacle of people with outmoded weaponry immobilizing the most militarily advanced nation in the world cast doubt on the very basis of modern strategic defense.What motivated the Vietnamese people to wage such a protracted battle at such great economic and emotional cost? Was it communism, nationalism, or a combination of both? And how does one explain the conflicts among the communist regimes in the region? What are the prospects for Hanoi emerging as a major political and ideological center in Southeast Asia?This concise introduction attempts to answer these questions by bringing a historical perspective to the Vietnam War, which is often lacking in other works. D. R. SarDesai situates the country in the context of the traditional Sino-Vietnamese cultural and colonial relationship and the more recent experience under the French. Arguing that the quest for national identity has been a recurring theme throughout Vietnamese history, the author asserts that nationalism, even more than communism, has fueled the struggles against Fra