#TDIDCH: April 7, 1954 - The birth of the Domino Theory.
The Domino Theory was a philosophy that drove much of American national security policy during the Cold War.
That theory, long firmly embraced in the late 1940s, was given its moniker 67 years ago today.
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The domino theory suggested a communist government in one nation would quickly lead to communist takeovers in neighboring states, each falling like a perfectly aligned row of dominos.
The National Security Council included the theory in a 1952 report on Indochina.
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But the theory had never been publicly articulated until April 7, 1954. This was during the decisive battle between Viet Minh & French forces at Dien Bien Phu. It appeared the French might lose [they did] and communist forces would gain control of the North [they did].
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During a press conference, President Eisenhower, when asked about communism in Indochina explained his concern:
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"You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly. So you could have a beginning of a disintegration that would have the most profound influences."
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In Ike's view, the loss of Vietnam to communist control would lead to similar communist victories in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand and then possibly India, Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia!
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After Ike’s speech, the phrase “domino theory” came into use as a shorthand expression of the strategic importance of South Vietnam to the United States, as well as the need to contain the spread of communism throughout the world.
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The results were tragic. Future presidents, including Kennedy and LBJ, used the domino theory to justify increasing involvement in the Vietnam War.
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