ABSTRACT
The assassination in May 1961 of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, the dictator of the Dominican Republic for over thirty years, ushered a period of uncertainty and instability into that country's politics. The alternative was a political settlement that would appeal to as broad a range of Dominicans as possible, save for extremist elements on both sides. The Dominican crisis had arisen literally overnight, but before it was one week old, Santo Domingo had been inundated with foreign troops and diplomats. Although General Al vim became the Inter-American Peace Force commander, Palmer, as deputy commander, retained virtual control over all US forces in the Dominican Republic. If the perceived legitimacy of a peace operation is determined by the support it receives from the participating nations, the belligerents, and the people affected by it, one would have to conclude that the Dominican intervention lacked legitimacy in its early phases.
