Harry Truman vs. Dwight Eisenhower Presidents of the Cold War:

The Election of 1948 Truman’s Goals: 1.) Stop Communism 2.)Restore Economy “Do nothing 80th” Truman limited by Republican majority rule in the House and Senate. Publicly criticizes the 80th Congress. 1948 Election: Harry Truman (D) Thomas Dewey (R) Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrats) What do you think are some PROS/CONS of a third party being involved? Truman’s re-election: Launches “Whistle Stop Campaigns”, “Do Nothing 80th”, and “Give’ em hell Harry”

The Fair Deal Along with his historic victory came a resurgence of the Democratic party. Democrats regained control of both houses of Congress. State of the Union: “Every segment of our population and every individual has a right to expect from government a fair deal.”

What Did the Fair Deal Do? Successes Minimum wage increased from 40 cents to 75 cents. Social Security coverage was extended. Slums were cleared out and low-income housing was created. Failures Nationwide Health Insurance. Subsidizing income for farmers. (Neither are passed) With his popularity low in 1951 after the Korean War, McCarthyism and the weakening economy, Truman decides not to run for re-election.

The Election of 1952 “I Like Ike” Eisenhower emerges as the wartime hero. Runs as the Republican candidate Faces Democrat Adlai Stevenson. Won the under the adopted Republican slogan, “It’s time for change.” Dynamic Conservatism: Transformation to Modern Republicanism Looked to balance budget and cut taxes Raised the minimum wage and extended Social Security and unemployment benefits. Created Highways Invested in Health, Education and Welfare.

Class Activity: Compare and Contrast Truman’s Fair Deal: Eisenhower’s Dynamic Conservatism:

Eisenhower’s “New Look” A Cold War Soldier: Eisenhower looked to focus on both the military and the economy to win the Cold War. Developed a “New Look” defense policy that highlighted using atomic weapons rather than a large expensive army. Provided, “More Bang for the Buck.” Massive Retaliation

The Space Race The Sputnik Crisis NASA- National Aeronautics and Space Administration Americans fear that the United States is falling behind in scientific research. Eisenhower isn’t worried about the Soviets, “putting one small ball into the air.”

Foreign Policy in the 1950’s Brinkmanship Eisenhower’s policy to go to threaten the brink of nuclear warfare in order to maintain peace. This worried some people who believed the tactic was too dangerous. This tactic was effective for Eisenhower in ending the Korean War and solving the Taiwan Crisis by getting China to back down. This policy also served to escalate the Cold War hype with the Soviets. CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) Used to prevent Communist uprisings in other countries. Covert or hidden operations mostly took place in developing nations. These were nations with primarily agricultural societies.

“Peaceful Coexistence” Soviets invade Hungary 1956: Nikita Khrushchev emerges as new Soviet leader after Stalin’s death in 1953.