1. Eisenhower & The Cold War

2. Dulles’ Diplomacy
John Foster Dulles was Sec. of State under Eisenhower
Criticized containment policies as too passive- wanted to directly challenge the Soviets and Chinese Communists
Argued if the U.S. pushed the Communist powers to the brink of war, they would back down because of American nuclear superiority
This policy became known as “brinkmanship”
Eisenhower ultimately prevented Dulles from carrying his ideas to the extreme

3. Massive Retaliation
Dulles advocated for greater defense spending on nuclear weapons and air power
Spend less on conventional forces
In theory, this would:
Save money
Help balance the budget
Increase pressure on potential enemies
After the Soviets developed their own hydrogen bomb, massive retaliation policies began to look more like policies for mutual extinction
Nuclear weapons did help deter superpowers from fighting an all-out war between themselves, but couldn’t stop smaller conflicts from breaking out in other regions

4. Unrest in the third world
Decolonization (collapse of colonial empires) after WWII was the single most important development in the postwar era
: dozens of former colonies gained their independence
India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ghana, etc. etc.
These new Third World countries lacked stable political and economic institutions
Their reliance on aid from either the U.S. or Soviets made them pawns of the Cold War

5. Covert Action
Part of Eisenhower’s Cold War policies was increased use of covert actions
CIA helped overthrow nationalist and leftist governments in Iran and in Guatemala
U.S. opposition to Communism drove Washington to support corrupt, ruthless dictators we otherwise wouldn’t help
CIA also helped plan assassinations of various national leaders
CIA covert operations helped fuel anti-American feelings in some of these regions

6. Korean Armistice
Eisenhower kept his campaign promise to try and end the war in Korea
Diplomacy, threat of nuclear war, and the sudden death of Stalin in 1953 moved China and North Korea to agree to an armistice and exchange POWs
The majority of the fighting stopped, the U.S. withdrew, and Korea remained divided at the 38th parallel
No peace treaty has ever been signed between North and South Korea

7. Fall of Indochina French tried to recolonize Indochina after WWII
Cambodians and Vietnamese wanted their independence
Natives looked toward Communist leader Ho Chi Minh for help against the French
This anticolonial war became part of the Cold War rivalry
U.S. government gave aid to the French while the Chinese and Soviets helped support the Viet Minh guerillas led by Ho Chi Minh

8. Division of Vietnam
1954: a large French army was defeated by Ho Chi Minh’s forces
Geneva Conference of 1954: French agreed to give up Indochina
Divided into the independent nations of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam
As a part of the conference, Vietnam was temporarily divided at the 17th parallel until general elections could be held
Ho Chi Minh established a Communist dictatorship in the North
Ngo Ding Diem led the anti-Communist South

9. The Domino Theory General elections to unite Vietnam were never held
South Vietnam’s government feared the Communists would win
: U.S. gave $1 billion in economic and military aid to South Vietnam
Eisenhower justified this using the “domino theory”
If South Vietnam fell to Communism, one nation after another in Southeast Asia would fall, and so on and so forth
Like a row of dominoes

10. SEATO
Sec. Dulles put together a regional defense pact called the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)
To prevent these countries from “falling” to Communism
Eight nations signed the pact in 1954, all agreeing to defend each other in case of an attack in the region

11. The middle east
U.S. tried to maintain friendly ties with oil-rich Arab nations while also trying to support Israel
Became a nation in 1948 under the U.N.
Created after a civil war in the British territory of Palestine left the land divided between Israelis and Palestinians
Arab nations in the region, like Egypt, fought unsuccessfully to prevent the Jewish state from being formed

12. Suez Crisis
Arab nationalist Gen. Gamal Nasser wanted funds to build an ambitious dam along the Nile River
Almost set off an international crisis when he seized and nationalized the British- and French-owned Suez Canal
Passed through Egyptian territory
Loss of the canal threatened western access to Middle Eastern oil
Britain, France, and Israel carried out a surprise attack against Egypt, retook the canal

13. Eisenhower Doctrine
After the Suez Crisis, the U.S. still faced Soviet influence in Egypt and Syria
1957: The Eisenhower Doctrine pledged economic and military aid to any Middle Eastern country threatened by Communism
1958: Eisenhower applied the doctrine by sending 14,000 marines to Lebanon to prevent a civil war between Christians and Muslims

14. OPEC & OIL
1960: Arab nations of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran joined Venezuela to form the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
By this time, oil was becoming an increasingly important foreign policy issue for the U.S.
Western dependence on Middle East oil, Arab nationalism, and conflicts between Israel and Palestine would trouble future U.S. presidents for decades

15. ? What was the idea behind “brinkmanship?”
What is considered to be the most important postwar development?
Why were new Third World Countries used as pawns by the U.S. and Soviets during the Cold War?
What did Eisenhower increasingly use in his Cold War policies? Give an example.
What factors moved China and North Korea to agree to an armistice and prisoner exchange?
What happened at the Geneva Conference of 1954?
What was the Domino Theory?
What was the goal of SEATO?
What was the Eisenhower Doctrine?
What three things would continue to trouble future U.S. presidents for decades?