This Date in History

Eisenhower warns of "ominous" situation in Asia
1953


Speaking before the Governor's Conference in Seattle, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warns that the situation in Asia is becoming "very ominous for the United States." In the speech, Eisenhower made specific reference to the need to defend French Indochina from the communists.

Eisenhower's speech marked the first appearance of what would come to be known as the "domino theory"--the idea that the loss of Indochina to communism would lead to other Asian nations following suit, like a row of dominos. The speech also indicated that the United States was fully committed to the defense of Indochina to prevent this possibility. After the defeat of the French in 1954, America took France's place in fighting the Vietnamese communist revolutionaries, thus beginning its slow but steady immersion into the Vietnam War.

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