April 7, 1954
President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his “domino theory” speech during a news conference. The domino theory was prominent from the 1950s to the 1980s; it assumed that if one country in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow in a domino effect. In Eisenhower’s words, speaking of Vietnam: “Finally, you have broader considerations that might follow what you would call the “falling domino” principle. 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.”
