Military History Undergraduate Masterclass

With the threat of unleashing nuclear Armageddon always present during the Cold War, military and political strategists theorised approaches to keep warfare confined geographically, limited to certain objectives, and, above all, how to avoid escalating any conflict into World War Three. This lecture will introduce students to ‘limited war theory’, how it was developed by US strategists during the Korean War – the first ‘hot’ war of the Cold War -- and how it shaped US strategy in the Vietnam War. It will enrich understanding of the Vietnam War, highlighting how the North Vietnamese were fighting a very different war to the United States – one which the Americans were ultimately unable to match. This lecture will be of interest to students studying the Vietnam War and the broader Cold War era.

This session will be taking place on Thursday 30th June 2022 between 1 and 3 pm.