Elaborate upon the role of women during war and peace in Vietnam.

OR

In Britain, the formation of the nation-state was not the result of a sudden upheaval or revolution. Validate the statement with relevant arguments.

The role of women was very important role during war and peace in Vietnam. They played various roles and contributed equally as men. The significance of their contribution can be seen through the responsibilities taken by them. Some of which are mentioned below:-

1. Women as Warriors and Workers

• Women played a vital role in the anti-imperial movement in Vietnam. After the US involvement in Vietnam, the war began in the 1960s. And, the women were portrayed as brave rebels and fighters who even participated in combat.

• They were urged to join the struggle as the war grew havoc in the country. Women helped in nursing the wounded, constructing underground tunnels and rooms and fighting the enemy.

• Women also guarded 2500 strategic points on the Ho Chi Minh trail and kept open 2195 km of roads. Between 1965 and 1975, 70-80 percent were women of the 17,000 youth who worked on the trail.
2. Women in times of peace - Towards the end of the conflict, the role of women shifted towards agricultural and factory work.
In times of peace, the role of women underwent a transformation. Women took the role of workers, working in agricultural cooperatives, factories, and production units.
3. Women as volunteers in the resistance movement - The Trung sisters who had fought against Chinese power and cruelty between 39-43 AD began to be recognized as national heroines in Vietnam after their portrayals were played in a drama by Phan Boi Chu. They were idealized and glorified in popular culture because they resisted the Chinese power and committed suicide after being defeated.

Trieu Au lived in the 3rd century. She organized an army to resist the Chinese rule but drowned herself after defeat. Later she became a sacred figure in the eyes of Vietnamese people because of her courage and sacrifice.

Thus, women of Vietnam played a pivotal role in the nation's freedom and during peacetime, without them it would have been very difficult to imagine Vietnam where it is today.

OR

In Britain, the formation of the nation-state was not the result of a sudden upheaval or revolution rather it was the result of a long-drawn-out process.

Britain was a very diverse nation and bringing all groups together was not possible by a sudden upheaval or revolution because :

(i)The primary identities of the people who inhabited the British Isles were ethnic ones-such as English, Welsh, Scot or Irish.
(ii) All of these ethnic groups had their own cultural and political traditions.
But only with the steady growth of the English nation in case of wealth, importance and power, it was able to extend its influence over the other nations of the islands. As

• The Act of Union 1707 between England and Scotland resulted in the formation of the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain.' It meant that England was able to impose its influence on Scotland.

• The growth of the British identity meant that Scotland's distinctive culture and political institutions were systematically suppressed.

• The Scottish Highlanders were forbidden to speak their Gaelic language or wear their national dress, and large numbers were forcibly driven out of their homeland.

Thus, it was a long journey for England to form Great Britain, not any sudden upheaval or revolution.