Professor Michael Kort, IHI Fellow and Boston University historian, will discuss his provocative revisionist history of the Viêtnam War, published by Cambridge UP in 2017. Going beyond the dominant orthodox narrative, Kort argues that the United States should have been able to win militarily, and at a much lower cost than it suffered in defeat. He analyzes the leadership qualities of South Viêtnam's Ngo Dinh Diem; the flawed military strategy of 'graduated response' developed by Robert McNamara; and the real reasons he says caused South Viêtnam's collapse in the face of a massive Northern conventional invasion in 1975. Kort defends the overall U.S. commitment to South Viêtnam as consistent with US security interests. Introduced and queried by Cathal J. Nolan, author of the Allure of Battle: A History of How Wars Have Been Won and Lost (Oxford UP, 2017). Panel chaired by Professor Michael Holm. Cosponsored with the World Affairs Forum, College of General Studies, Boston University.