The document discusses the Domino Theory, which was the idea that if one country in Asia fell to communism, the surrounding countries would follow like dominoes. It describes how after WWII, China became communist under Mao Zedong, and then Korea was divided into the communist North and democratic South to prevent the spread of communism. The US feared that if Korea or other Asian countries went communist, it would trigger surrounding countries to follow suit according to the Domino Theory.

1. The Domino Theory
First one, and then another, and then
another….

2. China
O Before World War II, China was
involved in a civil war between
communists and nationalists.
O Which side would America support?
Which side would the USSR support?
O The two sides had to team up to defeat
the Japanese invasion of China
though during the war.

3. The War and Afterwards
When the war ended, the Chinese
Civil War resumed. The
communists won after three
years.
China officially became the People’s
Republic of China with Mao Zedong as
their leader.
O The Communists
used guerilla
warfare against the
Japanese.
O The Nationalists
had a huge army
and were led by
Chiang Kai-Shek.

4. Korea and Communism
O Korea had been
controlled by Japan
leading into World War
II.
O When the war ended,
Korea became an
independent nation.
O The question became
would it be democratic
or communist?

5. “The Domino Theory”
O The Soviet Union
wanted Korea to be a
communist state, while
America wanted it to be
free.
O America was worried
that if Korea became
communist, slowly the
rest of Asia would too.
O Asian countries would
fall to communism like a
stack of dominos.

6. Containment – Part II
O Because of this fear, containment (what is
that again?) spread from a European focus to
Asia.
O To avoid a war that would engulf America and
Russia possibly, Korea was divided into two
countries: North Korea (communist) and
South Korea (democratic).

8. A Similar Situation
O A similar thing
happened in Vietnam.
O After World War II, the
Vietnamese fought for
independence from
France.
O The Soviet Union sent
aid to try and make the
country communist
while America backed a
democratic group.

9. And Elsewhere
O Other countries in Asia like Cambodia and
Laos also were influenced by communist
revolutionaries.
O Overall, though, a communist takeover of
Asia did not occur.