The primary reason that the US decided to enter into the conflict in Vietnam can be explained by the “domino theory.” What is this theory and how does it apply here? Explain in a fully developed paragraph.

Question

(use these sentence starters)

The "domino theory" is the idea that...

It applies to the conflict in Vietnam because...

Answer 1

The "domino theory" is the idea that if one country falls to communism, then neighboring countries will follow in a similar manner, like a line of dominoes. The primary reason for the US to enter into the conflict in Vietnam can be explained by this theory. The US believed that if they didn't intervene, the spread of communism would not stop at Vietnam and would eventually threaten other countries in Southeast Asia. The US policymakers feared that the loss of one country to communism would lead to the loss of another and this would cause a "domino effect" in the region. Therefore, to prevent this from happening, the US decided to enter into the conflict in Vietnam with the aim of containing communist expansion and stopping it from spreading to neighboring countries. In essence, the US believed that if they didn't intervene, the entire region would fall to communism, and this would have disastrous consequences for US interests in the region.