The Domino Theory identifies with the idea that if one country falls under the influence of Communism other countries surrounding it will also fall into Communism, with a sort of Domino effect. This theory, coined by the United States government, was used to justify their involvement in fighting communism, specifically in the Vietnam War. The United States supported South Vietnam in fighting communistic North Vietnamese. The Viet Minh in North Vietnam defeated the French and spread communism to surrounding regions and countries – South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. In this situation, at the time the United States would have declared it as the Domino effect.