The Domino Theory

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Recommended: President Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War

Morgan Bova
Ms. Davis
Junior College Prep English
18 April 2018
Title
“At the end of WWII, Vietnam was split in two, North and South Vietnam. South Vietnam was a republic, where people voted and practiced all religions, while North Vietnam was a communist country” (Dollard). We sided with the South and agreed to help defend their republic with food aid, education and our military might. We wanted them to win because we wanted to prevent them from become a communist state. “John Foster Dulles, US Secretary of State, had formulated the Domino Theory. This stated that if one country fell to communism, then its neighbour would and then the neighbour to this country. Such an expansion of communist influence in Southeast Asia was unacceptable …show more content…

“Before troops came, there were a lot of advisers over there, teaching the South Vietnamese. They were all volunteer American troops, teaching them how to fight a war against communism and teaching them combat. I went over as a MP and an adviser teaching certain things in the military police field”, Jim said. Military Police enforce the rules, regulations and laws regarding behavior and conduct on the base in which they are stationed. “When Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, there were more than 16,000 U.S. military advisers in South Vietnam” (cite 2). Although Jim was a military police by night, he was more of an advisor during the day. Advisors taught the South Vietnamese the strategic way to win a war against communism, both mentally and …show more content…

But, the military has to listen to the Commander in Chief (president). If he says stop, we have to stop” (Dollard). The United States would of had North Vietnam on their hands and knees, begging the United States to stop bombing them, but they pulled out and let the North take over. Right after the war ended the relationship between Vietnam and the United States was non-existent, although things have positively progressed over time. “Four decades after the end of the Vietnam War, the relationship between the United States and Vietnam has changed remarkably. The two countries have forged strong trade linkages and defense cooperation” (Cite 7). Even though our relationship with them now is in a reasonable state, what we did to the Vietnamese was wrong and

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