![]() However, the domino theory is now largely discredited, having failed to take into account the character of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong struggle in the Vietnam War. Containment was accepted as fact by all US presidents during the Cold War and became an underlying principle in American foreign policy and justification. This made the Americans feel much more strongly about getting involved with the conflict in Vietnam especially as its governments and borders were weak, putting the idea of containment, through the Truman Doctrine into action. Suggesting that the idea of the domino theory was not false concern held by the US.Īdditionally, when china started to provide the Viet Minh with essential military supplies in the 50s. Populations that contained large numbers of peasants were particularly susceptible to communist propaganda and recruitment. The writings of Russian Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin called for ‘international revolution’ through communism. ![]() Communist ideology itself contained evidence to validate this argument. The ultimate view of the US government was that communism must be contained. Using this same logic, Truman also gave aid to Greece and Turkey in an effort to conform to his idea of “containment” in the Truman Doctrine. Truman, the U.S government provided covert military and financial aid to the French and the south Vietnamese the rationale was that a communist victory in Indochina would spread communism throughout Southeast Asia. This was the beginning of a war that pitted Minh’s communist-led Vietminh regime in Hanoi against a French-backed regime in Saigon. In September 1945, Ho ChI Minh proclaimed Vietnam’s independence from France. After the defeat of the French the country split in two, the North being communist, lead by Ho ChI Minh who wanted to take over the south. The definite defeat of the French is a key point that led to increased US involvement in the problems in Vietnam. Krepinevich states Communism was a minor threat to American imperialism and Vietnam in the 1960s was from the forefront of the movement. However, the ideas of, America’s international presence, European pressure and war for profit were also important.Īndrew F. Thus, the domino theory was an extremely significant reason for the US to get involved in Vietnam as without the ‘threat’ of communism through the domino theory the Vietnam war would not exist. Burma and Thailand would follow suit almost immediately.” This suggests the domino theory played a significant role in the early involvement of the Vietnam conflict. involvement in Vietnam which was then later emphasised by the the then Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs” It is generally acknowledged that if Indochina were to fall. This idea shaped US and Western foreign policy during the Cold War and the Vietnam war, particularly with regard to Asia, President Eisenhower announced “You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is a certainty that it will go over very quickly.” Eisenhower’s announcement laid the foundation for U.S. China had fallen to communism in 1949, and America had fought in Korea in 1950-53 to contain the spread of communism. The left wing writer Noam Chomsky refers to this as the “threat of a good example.” they feared a communist takeover of Vietnam would mean that communists would then take over other countries in Southeast Asia that might come to threaten US allies such as the Philippines or Japan. The domino theory was supported by the belief that communism was an aggressive, expanding imperialism that would spread from one country to the next, until it dominated the world. this theory is supported by Gabriel Kolko, he stated “impossible, undesirable, and dangerous for…any state to seek to guide the development of another nation or region.” As America did in Vietnam with their intervention. Others argue that it was a simplistic theory which failed to acknowledge that Asian communism was motivated by nationalism as much as by the push for ‘world revolution’.
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