2.  Having a strong economy and military might was the key to victory in the Cold War › Show the world that a capitalism could produce a better and more prosperous society than Communism  Eisenhower was a military man › Knew that war costs too much money › “We cannot defend the nation in a way which will exhaust our economy” › Nuclear weapons gave “more bang for the buck”

3.  The policy of threatening to use nuclear weapons if a Communist state tried to seize territory by force  Eisenhower was able to cut military spending from $50 billion to $34 billion  Increased the amount of nuclear bombs owned by the US › 1,000 in 1953 to 18,000 in 1961

4.  B-52 bomber unveiled in 1955 › designed to fly across continents and drop nuclear bombs anywhere in the world  US started to develop long-range nuclear missiles › Sputnik launched in 1957 by the Soviets › The first artificial satellite to orbit the earth  NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was created in 1958 › Why? › Americans worried that the US was falling behind the Soviet Union in missile technology › Purpose was to do research in rocket science and space exploration

5.  The willingness to go to the brink of war to force the other side to back down  Eisenhower was willing to threaten nuclear war to maintain peace, which worried many Americans › Some thought it was too dangerous

6.  The new leader of the Soviet Union in 1956  Gave a secret speech to Soviet leaders in his first year › Attacked Stalin’s policies › Listed many ways to build a Communist society  The CIA obtained a copy and arranged it to be broadcast to Eastern Europe › Hearing Khrushchev’s speech discredited Communism for many Eastern Europeans › Riots broke out in June 1956 and by October, an uprising had begun in Hungary  Was willing to tolerate greater freedom in Eastern Europe but never meant that the Soviets would allow Communism to end there

7.  Khrushchev reasserted Soviet power and the authority of Communism  Demanded that the US, Great Britain, and France withdraw their troops from West Berlin › The US Secretary of State announced that if the Soviets threatened Berlin, NATO would respond with military force, if needed › Brinkmanship worked and Khrushchev backed down