The Dominican Republic Crisis, 1965 :the legality and morality of United States actions

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to briefly survey the early history of the Dominican Republic, examine the background causes of the revolution which erupted in April, 1965, determine the events of the first week of the crisis and reasons for sending United States troops, and ascertain the legality and morality of United States’ actions. Methods: The methods used to obtain the data for this study were to read and analyze carefully White House press releases and presidential news conferences concerning the Dominican revolution, publications of the Department of State, statements by individual members of Congress and Congressional committees, and articles on contemporary newspapers and periodicals. Findings: From the data presented in this study the following conclusions were made:

1. The United States’ decision to land troops in the Dominican Republic violated the sovereignty of the people of the Dominican Republic, the charter of the Organization of American States, and the charter of the United Nations this the actions of the United States were illegal.
2. The United States attempted to find moral justification for sending troops into the Dominican Republic by stating that the troops were being sent to protect the lives of United States’ citizens caught in the revolution; however, later it was revealed that troops were sent to prevent what President Johnson feared would be “another Cuba.” 3. The United States’ Actions in the Dominican Republic prevented a democratic revolution from occurring and alienated many of our allies.