Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byShanon Shelton Modified over 9 years ago
1
THE EISENHOWER YEARS 1952- 1960 (Personified the 1950s)
2
ELECTION OF 1952 First republican victory in 20 years “I like Ike” Running Mate- Richard Nixon Ran against Adlai Stevenson Nixon’s Checkers speech 442- 89 electoral votes
3
DOMESTIC POLICIES Modern Republicanism= balanced and moderate approach Came closer then any other successor in balancing the budget Accepted New Deal programs as a reality of Modern life Extended social security to 10 million more Raised Minimum wage Additional public housing Oppose federal health care and federal aid to education
4
DOMESTIC POLICIES Highway system Most permanent legacy (1956) 42k miles of highways Used as a measure of national defense Promoted trucking, growth of the suburbs
5
PROSPERITY Steady growth rate Deficits fall Some historians rate his economic policies as the most successful of any president 1945-1960 disposable income Americans had the highest standards of living in the world
6
ELECTION OF 1956 Eisenhower was again Democrats win both houses of Congress
7
EISENHOWER AND THE COLD WAR Secretary of State John Foster Dulles Thought containment was too passive talked of “liberating captive nations” Took a hard line of “ Wanted to push Soviets and China Eisenhower restrained him
8
EISENHOWER AND THE COLD WAR Dullus wanted “more bang for the back” Place greater reliance on nuclear weapons and air power To some Massive Retaliation looked more the Mutual Extinction (MAD – mutually assured destruction)
9
EISENHOWER AND THE 3 RD WORLD Collapse of colonial empires after WWII were extremely significant 1947- 1962 dozens of colonies in Asia and Africa gained their independence – India / Pakistan (1947) Their need for foreign aid from either the U.S. or the Soviet Union made them pawns
10
EISENHOWER AND THE 3 RD WORLD Use of correct action 1953- U.S. helps overthrow Government in Iran The shah was put into power promoted the West with favorable aid prices Guatemala, 1954 CIA overthrow a leftist government that threatened American business interests U.S. support of ruthless dictators – produced anti-growing US sentiment
11
ASIA 1953 (March) Stalin dies China and North Korea sign an armistice with S. Korea July 1953, exchange of prisoners French try to retake Indochina after WWII Native Vietnamese and Cambodians resist
12
ASIA Federal imperialist aims increase communist support (anti-colonial war) Truman’s government began to give aid to France China and soviets arched Vietnam guerillas led by Ho Chi Minh 1954, French defeated at Dien Bien Phu – forced to surrender 1954, France agreed to give up Indochina at Genera Conference Divided among Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam
13
VIETNAM Divided at the 17 th parallel North (Ho Chi Minh) vs. South(Ngo Dinh Diem) 1955 to 1941 U.S. gives ones 1 billion in economic and military and to S. Vietnam Domino Theory SEATO( 8 nations, 1954 US,GB,FR,Pak.,Aus.,NZ,Thai,Phil
14
MIDDLE EAST Balance maintaining financial ties with oil- rich Arab states while supporting Israel Civil war fought to prevent Jewish State
15
SUEZ CRISIS 1. Arab nationalist and Nasser (Egypt) asked US for funds to build the Aswan dam on the 2. US says no because Egypt fought Israel 3.Egypt gets limited funds from Soviets 4. Egypt seizes Suez Canal (1956) – Nationalizes it 5. In response, GB, FR, and Israel launch a surprise attack against Egypt and retake the canal 6. Eisenhower furious- UN resolution condemning the invasion
16
EISENHOWER DOCTRINE US pledges military aid to any middle Eastern country threatened by communism 1 st Applied in Lebanon (1958) sent 14k marines to prevent Muslim - Christian War
17
US SOVIET RELATIONS Period characterized by relative calm to extreme tension Spirit of Geneva “Atoms for peace” = slow down arms race after Stalin’s death Geneva, Eisenhower and Bulgaria “open skies ”, Soviets rejected proposal 1 st thaw Kruschev denounced crimes of Stalin in early 1956 called for peaceful coexistence
18
US SOVIET RELATIONS Sputnik shock = blamed American education national system and education Act – 100s millions to schools 2 nd berlin crisis= diffused at Camp David U. 2 incident = US spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union Cuba= Castro overthrew Battista January 1, 1959 Castro nationalized American businesses Communist Stole 90 miles off Fl. Coast Eisenhower used CIA to train anti-communist exiles to retake island Left up to Kennedy – Bay of Pigs Invasion Military -Industrial complex
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com. Inc.
All rights reserved.