How does a non-European based notion of modernity influence our understanding of global history?

By offering different perspective.

Explanation:

Popular historical events, tend to be written from the perspective of the 'Winners'. Even if those winners were doing something unethical during the events, they can cover it by justifying their actions through some sort of divine will or missions.

The perspective from non-European histories offered a different perspective on the colonization.

In the past, colonization's were generally praised as something good. The Europeans masked it as some sort of mission to help other countries in the world improve their civilization. But, they didn't mention the dark side of it. Only after examining non-European histories the world aware of the human exploitation, resources exploitation, and the military's conflicts that's caused by the colonization.

because the vietnam war was fought in an especially brutal and untraditional way

protected civil liberties and outlawed slavery in the new territories.