The Dominican Crisis Of 1962-1965, Communist Aggression Or U.S. Intervention

Abstract

In this paper I deconstructed the U.S. Invasion of the Dominican Republic in 1965. I also look at the events leading up to the military intervention, such as assassination of Trujillo, the Bosch presidency, and the turbulent period of the military junta. The paper also takes a broader look at the implications of communist expansion and the U.S. response under George Kennan's Domino Theory. I utilized a number of primary documents that have been recently made public to examine the U.S. response to what was seen as a left leaning rebellion within the Dominican Republic. I found that the Cuban Missile Crisis still fresh on the collective minds of President Lyndon Johnson and his State Department, the U.S. wanted to prevent another Caribbean country from going communist. I concluded that while the U.S. response was heavy handed and intrusive it yielded results in that democracy was restored, any communist threat was negated, and the Organization of American States was able to oversee the elections adding legitimacy.