Week 31 Cold War IDs
Containment Policy and Domino Theory
Domino Theory
- Theory that if one nation falls to Communism, more would follow
- Introduced by Truman in reference to Greece and Turkey
- Popularized by Eisenhower
- Critics of the theory think the United States was merely protecting its interests in Asia
- Evidenced by China, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc.
- Contradicted by the inability of Communism to take hold in Thailand, Indonesia, etc.
Containment Policy
- United States attempt to control the realization of the Domino Theory
- Created by George F. Kennan and used in the Truman Doctrine
- Evidenced by U.S. actions in Vietnam and Korea
- After its failure in Vietnam, it was replaced by detente talks
"You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is certainty that it will go over very quickly." - President Eisenhower