The domino theory and the vietnam war essay studienett. Eisenhower responded with one of the earliest explanations of the domino theory. Communism a theory or system of social organization in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives accodring to their ability and needs. Cold war historians and the vietnam war is no exception. Scholars have variously described it as the central organising con. The vietnam war was a result of the national strategy. It was used to justify american military involvement in several countries beginning in the 1940s. This cold war site contains articles, perspectives and sources on global events and. How important was the socalled domino theory in forming.
The domino theory is the most pervasive model of geopolitical determination in modern history. The phrase was originally used by dwight d eisenhower and has been continued to be used up to the. The domino theory in american foreign policy, 1947 macsphere. The domino theory was a theory prominent from the 1950s to the 1980s that posited that if one. The domino theory was a cold war policy that suggested a communist government in one nation would quickly lead to communist takeovers in neighboring states, each falling like a perfectly aligned. Building on early geographically derived geopolitical theories, and holding static interpretations of global and regional spatial patterns, they introduced into the lexicon of cold war geopolitics such politicalstrategic doctrines as containment, domino theory. The domino theory does a good job of making the connection to the idea of containment. This domino theory is essentially the entire reason that the united states participated in the vietnam war.
Eisenhower coins one of the most famous cold war phrases when he suggests the fall of french indochina to the communists could create a domino effect in southeast asia. The cold war presidents there were nine presidents who served during the cold war era between 1945 1991. The domino theory was a cold war policy that suggested a communist government in one nation would quickly lead to communist takeovers in. A competition and power struggle of tension and hostility. Until recently in the united states the cold war has been taught as a series of aggressive moves by the soviets, countered by u. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In the historiography, the key question regarding the domino. The communist forces would be successful and this would create an agreement, hammered out at the geneva conference, that would create a division within vietnam so that the communists controlled the north. Throughout the cold war the united states top priority was to contain the spread communism in the world. President eisenhower coined the term during a news conference on april 7, 1954. Guided notes for korean war, 38th parallel, domino theory, cold war. To give aide to the countries of western europe along with greece and turkey to keep them from falling under soviet domination. The united states felt that if countries such as china and korea fell to communism that neighboring nations would soon follow.
The domino theory, containment and the truman doctrine author. One of the most popular and influential ideas of the cold war years was the domino theory. Dec 22, 2007 domino theory was an important influence on us foreign policy towards indochina during the cold war, but so were french, british and japanese concerns, and us prestige. So, by extension, this domino theory is the reason that the things they carried was written and thus provides a background into the generally unwanted involvement in this war. The strongest of these interests is national security, and one of the most persistent ideas of cold war policy, the domino theory, is inexorably. One school of thought which recognizes the persistence of the domino theory beyond vietnam also focusses on lessons of the past and their use in decision making. Effect of domino theory on cold war essay 2048 words. This lesson on the korean war is included in the cold war resource bundle, located here. Domino theory says that if one country or region was taken over by communism, then the surrounding countries would follow. During what other war did the domino theory come into play. The cold war contains a selection of official and unofficial documents which provide a truly multifaceted account of the entire cold war era. Mar 16, 2014 a brief history of the domino theory which was used by the usa government through the cold war. Then america took the leadership of all the capitalist countries. The cold war a bitter rivalry between the united states and the soviet union, the two.
He declares, apart from the mountains of literature on the vietnam war and innumerable references to the domino theory that eisenhower and others were so concerned about in the 1950s, the role of the cold war in southeast asia. This theorys important cold war legacy is well known. Dec 23, 2010 domino theory was all about communism, i need to make an connection between cold war and the domino theory. Domino theory was all about communism, i need to make an connection between cold war and the domino theory. Containment and the domino theory used during the cold war. It was the reason why there was such an emphasis on stopping socialist and communist governments around the world. The domino theory was a geopolitical theory formed and used by the us government that governed much of us foreign policy in the time after world war 2 and during the cold war. The strategy of containment is best known as a cold war foreign policy of the united states and its allies to prevent the spread of communism after the end of world war ii. A theory that one event will set off a train of similar events, especially. Cold war practice test chenango forks middle school. The quiz and worksheet that accompany this lesson will utilize the thought behind the domino theory to explain the sequence of events that occurred during the vietnam war. Another popular geopolitical doctrine, domino theory, was first proposed by william bullitt 1947. Soviet russia took the leadership of all the communist countries. The quiz and worksheet that accompany this lesson will utilize the thought behind the domino theory to explain the sequence.
The names of the cold war presidents were harry truman, dwight d eisenhower, john f kennedy, lyndon b johnson, richard nixon, gerald ford, jimmy carter, ronald reagan and george h bush. John kennedy and the cold war clearly notes kennedys belief in the struggle between the us and ussr and his complete acceptance of the domino theory as justification for involvement in vietnam. The domino theory was the belief that communism would expand and spread from one country to the next until it dominated the world. How important was the socalled domino theory in forming us. Oct 11, 2016 domino theory, which governed much of u. It was basically said that if one country came under communist influence or control, its neighboring countries would soon follow in a domino effect. The strategy of containment is best known as a cold war foreign policy of the united states and its allies to prevent the spread of communism after the. With roots all the way back into world war ii, the cold war was one of the most dominant issues of the 20th century. Decades of changebeginning of the cold wartruman and containmentcontainmenttruman doctrine. The korean war maps handout explain the korean war in terms of maps and how territory changed hands during the war, and the domino theory map handout explores just that the domino theory, and has students imagine they are harry truman reacting to north korea invading south korea. The domino theory was an analogy based on falling dominos international revolution.
This powerpoint takes students through the korean wars causes. Indirectly the competition between the super powers led to the cold war. The belief in the domino theory contributed to the decision to escalate u. It is loosely related to the term cordon sanitaire which was later used to describe the geopolitical containment of the soviet union in the 1940s. The domino theory, containment and the truman doctrine.
By 1948, as a result of the cold war between the soviet union and the u. Mr president, concerning the hydrogen bomb, are we going to continue to make bigger and bigger hbombs and. All three economic to help greece become economically sound. This cold war site contains articles, perspectives and sources on global events and tensions between 1945 and 1991. After the second world war, the usa and ussr became two super powers. Containment is a geopolitical strategic foreign policy pursued by the united states. May 17, 2017 this powerpoint takes students through the korean war s causes. Us needed to act as though we are willing to go to war. Domino theory was an important influence on us foreign policy towards indochina during the cold war, but so were french, british and japanese concerns, and us prestige. Cold war southeast asia central intelligence agency.
This theory s important cold war legacy is well known. Building on early geographically derived geopolitical theories, and holding static interpretations of global and regional spatial patterns, they introduced into the lexicon of cold war geopolitics such politicalstrategic doctrines as containment, domino theory, balancing linkages, and linchpin state. Domino theory came from the notion of containment that governed american foreign policy from late 1940s until 1980s. Eisenhower explains the domino theory 1954 the cold war. Cold war anticipation guide what i know after the unit t f at the end of world war ii, the u.
What is the significance of the domino theory answers. Cold war practice test 1the building of the berlin wall 2settlement of the cuban missile crisis 3increased united states involvement in the vietnam war 4the seizure of american hostages by iran 25the congress approves and supports the determination of the president, as commander in chief to take all necessary measures to repel any armed. American cold warriors embraced geopolitics as a basis for national policy aimed at confronting. The domino theory was an element of american international politics from the 1950s until the end of the cold war. The domino theory was accepted as fact during the cold war by all american presidents at the time in regards to foreign policy3 the theorys influence was not overwhelming, however, even during the early 1950s president eisenhowers administration had questioned the domino theory and concluded that the loss of vietnam would not be a. This site is created by alpha history and contains 309,599 words in 407 pages. President eisenhower delivers cold war domino theory speech. Decades of changebeginning of the cold war truman and containmentcontainmenttruman doctrine. As the soviet union established satellite nations, the united states gained allies among western european nations. Interview robert mcnamara, the domino theory was the primary. President eisenhower delivers cold war domino theory. Indochina was a central battleground of the cold war for more than two decades in which poorlyarmed vietnamese guerrillas fought. Notes,whiteboard,whiteboard page,notebook software,notebook, pdf,smart,smart technologies ulc,smart board interactive whiteboard created date. This theory of countries falling one after the other to communism became known as the domino theory.
Domino theory definition of domino theory by the free. The theory held that decisive action had to be taken to prevent the fall even of small countries of little or no intrinsic political, economic, or. The theory does not have a specific and exact start and end point, but the theory was prominent in us politics and had an impact on the us society in the years between. When eisenhower gave one of his famous speeches about the domino theory and its affects on the country and the countries surrounding.
Several cold warera papers offer their judgments about whether domino effects will be important in one country or another and what the broader consequences of falling dominoes might be in particular nations see, for instance,murphy1966. From eisenhowers predecessor, harry truman, who intervened in south korea in 1950, to ronald reagans intervention in latin america in the 1980s, american political leaders explicitly rooted. This idea shaped the foreign policy of the united states and other western countries during the cold war. French and american policy 194554 london, croom helm, 1975. Domino theory and containment korea, vietnam cuba, central america middle east terms to know. The immediate impact of eisenhowers cold war speech regarding the domino theory was minimal at best. The domino theory was used by successive united states administrations during the cold war to justify the need for american. All has something to do with the vietnam war 10 points for the best answer. Trumans request was granted and became the foundation for u. As a component of the cold war, this policy was a response to the soviet unions move to increase communist influence in eastern europe, asia, africa, and latin america. The domino theory was a theory prominent from the 1950s to the 1980s that posited that if one country in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow in a domino effect. The cold war steinbeck in the schools san jose state.
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