The Lotus Unleashed: The Buddhist Peace Movement in South Vietnam, 1964-1966

by Robert J. Topmiller

Overview

During the Vietnam War, Vietnamese Buddhist peace activists made extraordinary sacrifices—including self-immolation—to try to end the fighting. They hoped to establish a neutralist government that would broker peace with the Communists and expel the Americans. Robert J. Topmiller explores South Vietnamese attitudes toward the war, the insurgency, and U.S. intervention, and lays bare the dissension within the U.S. military. The Lotus Unleashed is one of the few studies to illuminate the impact of internal Vietnamese politics on U.S. decision-making and to examine the power of a nonviolent movement to confront a violent superpower.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813172484
Publisher:	University Press of Kentucky
Publication date:	12/27/2002
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	232
File size:	509 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Robert J. Topmiller is assistant professor of history at Eastern Kentucky University.

Table of Contents

	Preface	vii
	Introduction: Vietnamese Buddhism as a Political Force, 1963-1965	1
1	Origins of the Buddhist Crisis of 1966	33
2	Conservative Backlash	53
3	Confrontation in Danang: U.S. Marines and the Buddhist Struggle Movement	71
4	American Reassessment of Its Role in South Vietnam	93
5	Resolution	121
	Conclusion: The Movement Defeated?	143
	Notes	153
	Bibliography	187
	Index	203

Editorial Reviews

"Tells the story of how the Buddhist-inspired Struggle Movement sought to challenge the legitimacy of the Government of South Vietnam in the middle years of the 1960s." -- Contemporary Buddhism

"A meticulously detailed and eminently readable account of the Buddhist Peace Movement in South Vietnam." -- Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

"A major contribution to the study of the Vietnam War, The Lotus Unleashed explores the Buddhist Uprisings in the Republic of Vietnam and details their important political consequences." -- Spencer C. Tucker

"Serves to remind us of the challenges and pitfalls of American involvement in far-flung conflicts." -- Tacoma News-Tribune

"Argues that the United States failed to prevent a Socialist victory because it never concerned itself with Vietnamese public opinion.... Topmiller's compelling argument makes his book useful in many settings." -- Transformations

"Presents more evidence of the force of Vietnamese nationalism... well-researched and clearly written." -- VVA Veteran

From the Publisher

Argues that the United States failed to prevent a Socialist victory because it never concerned itself with Vietnamese public opinion.... Topmiller's compelling argument makes his book useful in many settings.

Transformations

A meticulously detailed and eminently readable account of the Buddhist Peace Movement in South Vietnam.

Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

A major contribution to the study of the Vietnam War, The Lotus Unleashed explores the Buddhist Uprisings in the Republic of Vietnam and details their important political consequences.

Spencer C. Tucker

Tells the story of how the Buddhist-inspired Struggle Movement sought to challenge the legitimacy of the Government of South Vietnam in the middle years of the 1960s.

Contemporary Buddhism

Presents more evidence of the force of Vietnamese nationalism... well-researched and clearly written.

VVA Veteran

Serves to remind us of the challenges and pitfalls of American involvement in far-flung conflicts.

Tacoma News-Tribune