Problem
In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Vietnam War polarized the people of the United States. Even today scholars, as well as politicians, continue to debate why the United States was unable to achieve victory in Vietnam. Mark Lawrence argues in The Vietnam War: A Concise International History that "decisions made elsewhere shaped, constrained, and sometimes determined American choices," thus limiting American policymakers' ability to craft a winning strategy in Vietnam. How does Lawrence demonstrate the power of those "international" forces in determining the development and outcome of America's involvement in Vietnam? Do you find his international perspective convincing in explaining American policymakers' failure to determine the trajectory and outcome of the Vietnam War?