1. Eisenhower’s Policies
The Cold War Begins
Eisenhower’s Policies
TCVMH: We Like Ike (21:26-22:34)

2. Learning Targets: Explain the concept of “massive retaliation”.
Describe the “space race” that took place between the Soviet Union and the United States.
Give examples of the use of “brinksmanship”.
Describe how the United States fought the spread of communism in Central/South America.
Give examples of United States failures in the Cold War

3. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
After the Soviets had acquired the atomic bomb, China had fallen to Communism, and American troops were fighting in Korea: Americans were ready for a change in leadership.
Dwight D. Eisenhower is elected President
Eisenhower declared that the nation “must be prepared to use atomic weapons in all forms”.

4. Massive Retaliation
The Korean War had convinced Eisenhower that the United States could not contain communism by fighting a series of small wars. Such wars were unpopular and too expensive. Instead, they had to be prevented from happening in the first place. The best way to do that seemed to be to threaten to use nuclear weapons if a Communist state tried to seize territory by force. This policy came to be called: massive retaliation.

5. The Sputnik Crisis On October 4, 1957 the Soviets launched Sputnik
The first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth
Americans feared that if the Soviets could launch a satellite into space, that they could also launch and land a nuclear missile on the United States
America was falling behind in scientific research
In response congress created:
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
NDEA (National Defense Education Act) to fund education and training in science, math, and foreign language

6. Brinksmanship
The willingness to go to the brink of war to force the other side to back down

7. The Korean War Ends Upon becoming President:
Eisenhower communicated to the Chinese that the United States might continue the Korean War “under circumstances of our own choosing”—a hint at nuclear attack.
In July 1953 negotiators signed an armistice.
The battle line at the armistice became the new line dividing North and South Korea.
A “demilitarized zone” separated them.
There was no victory but the war was over and communism was contained.
American troops are still stationed to help North Korea protect its border.

8. The Taiwan Crisis China threatened to seize Taiwan and
began shelling the island.
Eisenhower asked congress for permission to use force against China to protect Taiwan
Eisenhower warned China that any attempts to invade Taiwan would be resisted by American Naval forces stationed nearby (hinting at the use of nuclear weapons)
China backed down
TCVMH: The Red Menace (11:27-

9. The Suez Crisis Eisenhower did not want Arab nations in the
Middle East to align with the Soviet Union
To prevent this, the US offered to finance a dam to be built in Egypt
Congress would not authorize the deal because Egypt had bought weapons from Communist Czechoslovakia
A week later Egypt seized control of the Suez Canal to pay for their dam
British and French troops were sent to invade Egypt
The Soviet Union threatened rocket attacks on France and Great Britain
Eisenhower threatened to use “everything in the bucket” (including nuclear weapons) against the USSR if they attacked Britain and/or France
Britain and France backed off at Eisenhower’s request
This was a major victory for the Soviet Union who supported Egypt

10. Fighting Communism Covertly
To prevent Communists from staging revolutions within countries, Eisenhower decided to use covert, or hidden, operations.
Containment in Developing Nations
Many of the CIA’s operations took place
in developing nations
The CIA used covert operations to
overthrow anti-American leaders and
replace them with pro-American leaders

11. Iran and Guatemala Two examples of successful covert operations:
Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh had nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and was ready to make a deal with the Soviet Union
Mossadegh had sent the pro-American Shah into exile
Secretary of State Dulles sent CIA agents in to Iran to start street riots and arrange a coup that ousted Mossadegh, and the Shah returned to power
Jacob Arbenz Guzman won elections in Guatemala with communist support
Guzman started a land reform program which took land away from American owned business in Guatemala
The CIA secretly trained rebels to invade Guatemala and over throw Guzman

12. Uprising in Hungary In 1953 Stalin died and Nikita Khrushchev became
the new Soviet Leader
Khruschev delivered a secret speech to Soviet Leaders attacking Stalin’s policies and claiming there were other ways to build a Communist society
The CIA obtained a copy of the secret speech and broadcast it to Eastern European countries under Communist rule
Many Eastern European countries were frustrated with Soviet Communist rule
Riots broke out in Europe and in Hungary a full scale uprising began
Khrushchev could allow greater freedom, but not an end to Communism in these countries
Khrushchev sent in Soviet tanks and troops to Hungary to end the rebellion
TCVMH: The Atomic Age (47:15-50:26)

13. Continuing Tensions
The uprising in Hungary forced Khrushchev to reassert Soviet power and the superiority of Communism
At first Khrushchev was willing to coexist with capitalism,
After Hungary, Khrushchev vowed to crush capitalism
In 1958 Khrushchev demanded that the US, Great Britain, and France withdraw from West Berlin
The US used brinksmanship to make Khrushchev back down
To try to improve relations with the Soviet Union and Khrushchev, Eisenhower set up a meeting,
or summit, between the US and the USSR…

14. Francis Gary Powers
Shot down flying a U-2 spy plane over 60,000 feet above the USSR:
Lucky shot
created one of the major confrontations of the Cold War
In a meeting between leaders, Eisenhower claimed it was a weather balloon that had strayed off course
Khrushchev (new Soviet leader) brought out Francis Gary Powers to catch Eisenhower in his lie
Eisenhower refused to apologize
Khrushchev left the meeting disgruntled

15. Essay Question
Explain the reasoning behind “massive retaliation” and “brinkmanship,” and describe how Eisenhower used these concepts to help end the Korean War.

16. Essay Question
Explain the reasoning behind “massive retaliation” and “brinkmanship,” and describe how Eisenhower used these concepts to help end the Korean War.
The Korean War had convinced Eisenhower that the United States could not contain communism by fighting a series of small wars. Instead, theses wars had to be prevented from happening in the in the first place. Thee best way to do that seemed to be threatened to use nuclear weapons if Communist state tried to seize territory by force. This policy came to be called “ massive retaliation.” “Brinkmanship” was the willingness to go to the brink of war to force the other side to back down. Eisenhower used two concepts in international confrontations. In Korea, for example, he quietly let the Chinese know that the United States might continue the Korean War “ under circumstances of our choosing.” The message was a hint at nuclear attack. The threat to go to brink of nuclear war seemed to work, because negotiators soon signed an armistice.