Domino Theory

• Eisenhower supported Diem (pronounced Ziem) and did not want him to risk an election that might result in the Communist takeover of South Vietnam. Eisenhower's concern was the "Domino Principle," the fear that Communism was spreading like a cancer and would eventually blanket the planet if not contained. 

• From the point of view of Ho Chi Minh, and later many American protestors, Americans had no right to be interfering in the political affairs of a nation on the other side of the globe, especially when America claims to advocate for democracy.

RETURN to Cold War Decisions