Ithaca: Southeast Asia Program Publications, an imprint of Cornell University Press, 2023. xiv, 223 pp. (Maps, B&W photos.) US$35.00, paper. ISBN 9781501770586.
Based on more than a decade of domestic and international research through primary and secondary sources, Van Nguyen-Marshall’s Between War and the State explores the dynamic history of a largely overlooked topic: voluntary social and civic activities in South Vietnam between 1954 and 1975.
After decades of exploitative French colonial rule and the 1954 Geneva Conference’s failure to adequately resolve Vietnam’s civil war, the South Vietnamese state faced a host of developmental challenges: internally displaced citizens, orphans, prolonged civil war, political instability, wounded civilians and veterans, poverty, press censorship, political corruption, and authoritarian governance.
Given the exacting postcolonial wartime atmosphere and perceived importance of nation building, a diversity of voluntary associations of varying sizes emerged and endeavoured to build a better society, including mutual-aid associations, cultural clubs, professional societies, charitable organizations, community development groups, women’s associations, student organizations, and rights movements. Some of these voluntary associations worked with the South Vietnamese government to pursue their developmental goals, while others remained independent, of which a small percentage actively opposed the government. Adding to the climate of developmental zeal, associational life was a highly contested domain; an atmosphere of competition between different voluntary associations pervaded the scene. It was within this challenging and exciting climate that the country’s voluntary associations, most of which were comprised of regular people, strove to build a better South Vietnam.
Chapter 1 provides a brief but important overview of South Vietnam’s origins, historical development, and political landscape. Chapter 2 discusses sociability and associational life in South Vietnam before and after 1954, with an emphasis on mutual-aid and friendly societies (“MAFS”). Prior to the colonial period, going back to the fifteenth century, a number of northern Vietnamese villages had MAFS. During the colonial period, French administrators allowed a variety of MAFS to exist in northern, central, and southern Vietnam, but banned such organizations from participating in political debates and activities. In South Vietnam, MAFS continued to play a major role in society. In 1956, two years after the country’s founding, more than 145 MAFS were active. Like the colonial period, the government expected these organizations to steer clear of politics and radicalism—with mixed success.
Chapter 3 examines voluntary efforts to organize and deliver social services to Vietnamese before and after 1954. Religious beliefs, social responsibility, and personal advancement helped drive these efforts. The author devotes much attention to the role of women and female-led organizations. For example, nuns played a notable role in Catholic charitable endeavours, particularly for orphanages and schools. The author mentions several notable women who were active in the social services community during or after 1954, including Cao Thi Khanh, Vu Thi Ngai, To Thi Than, Le Quang Kim, and Nguyen Thi Oanh.
Chapter 4 focuses on South Vietnamese voluntary efforts to improve social and community development between 1954 and the first half of the 1970s. The author frames these national efforts through three unique developmental projects in Saigon: the Popular Cultural Association’s Popular Polytechnic Institute (focusing on improving adult education), the Youth School for Social Service (promoting social revolution based on Buddhist ideas and principles), and the New Life Development Project (endeavouring to empower locals living in under-resourced districts to plan, organize, and act).
The fifth chapter addresses the state of social and political activism among student youths during the 1960s and 1970s. Playing an important role in nation building, tens of thousands of students joined various voluntary associations and youth movements, such as student union associations, the Summer Youth Program, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, Buddhist and Catholic associations, anti-government political movements, and pro-government political movements.
Chapter 6 expounds on the history of Sóng Thần newspaper’s 1972 “Highway of Horror” project. This humanitarian project entailed recovering and burying the civilian and military victims of a 1972 communist attack along a ten-kilometre stretch of road in central Vietnam.
The seventh chapter investigates the often-contentious relationship between the South Vietnamese government and press during the first half of the 1970s. As the civil war, the national economy, and the legitimacy of South Vietnam’s democracy deteriorated, the efforts by some periodicals to improve society took on a more radical, anti-government character. Promoting prison reform, fighting against government censorship, and opposing government corruption became central issues, further reflecting the country’s vibrant, pluralistic public sphere.
Between War and the State represents a major contribution to the study of modern Vietnam. Pushing back against the orthodox portrayal of South Vietnamese society as static, inconsequential, and incapable of functioning without American assistance, Nguyen-Marshall successfully argues that non-elite elements within South Vietnam continuously played an important and active civic role in society and its development.
The monograph’s greatest strengths are its diverse source base and variety of content. To support her study of South Vietnamese civil society, Nguyen-Marshall conducted research through an impressive array of primary and secondary sources in the English and Vietnamese languages. Besides consulting pertinent Western publications and US governmental documents, the author relied on South Vietnamese governmental documents, periodicals, memoirs, and interviews. An examination of the work’s notes section reveals the steady presence of Vietnamese-language sources starting with the third chapter, evincing the importance placed on local perspectives by the author. Touching on a litany of individuals, organizations, and developmental activities, this study will potentially go on to shape and inspire the research efforts of various Master’s and PhD students for years to come, ensuring the continued growth of South Vietnamese studies.
My criticisms of the work are negligible. The author consulted various important periodicals, but I would like to have seen greater engagement with the South Vietnamese press at times, particularly periodicals like the Buddhist-oriented newspaper Chánh Đạo, the student-run magazine Tình Thương, and the popular newspaper Tia Sáng. Selectively incorporating relevant content from these periodicals would have further enriched and enlivened this notable work.
Ryan Nelson
The Ohio State University, Columbus