The Cold War 1945 –1960

Cold War Policy Under President Eisenhower

PowerPoint by Mr. Hataway Created January 29, 2003 Revised March 10, 2004 Second Revision February 12, 2012

Cold War Policy Under President Eisenhower

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Today, I will learn …

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Eisenhower’s plan to reduce world tensions and contain communism.

I will learn it by …

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Listening and taking notes using Cornell Notes strategy.

I have learned it when I can …

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Explain the following: massive retaliation, Sputnik, brinkmanship, NASA, NDA.

Cold War Policy Under President Eisenhower

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Essential Question:

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How were Cold War tensions intensified by the arms race and the space race?

Focus

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How do you react when you feel threatened?

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Do you think that those same reactions apply to nations? Explain.

Eisenhower’s Policies

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Dwight D. Eisenhower, national hero and general who organized the D-Day invasion, was elected president in 1952.

Circa 1943

Eisenhower’s Policies

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Eisenhower believed that the way to win the Cold War was through a strong military and a strong economy.

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conventional war too expensive.

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atomic weapons necessary.

Discussion Question

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Why did Eisenhower feel a strong economy would win the Cold War?

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Eisenhower felt that the United States need to show that free enterprise would produce more prosperous society than communism.

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Economic prosperity would also prevent Communists from gaining support in the United States, protecting the U.S. from subversion.

Eisenhower’s Policies

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“Massive Retaliation”

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Policy first proposed by Sec. of State, John F. Dulles.

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Threatened use of nuclear weapons on any Communist state that tried to gain territory through force.

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Fueled the arms race.

Eisenhower’s Policies

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New weapons technology

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B-52 long range, heavy bomber

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Intercontinental ballistic missiles

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Submarines with nuclear missile launchers

B-52 Long Range, Heavy Bomber

USSR and United States Nuclear Weapons Stockpiles 1945-2005

Eisenhower’s Policies

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Sputnik (Oct. 4, 1957)

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Launched by the Soviet Union.

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first artificial satellite to orbit the earth.

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Americans felt they were falling behind in missile technology.

Eisenhower’s Policies

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NASA

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Eisenhower established NASA in response.

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U.S. launched its own satellite, Explorer I, in January 1958.

Explorer I

Eisenhower’s Policies

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National Defense Education Act (NDEA) – passed in 1958 in response to the launching of Sputnik by the Soviet Union.

Eisenhower’s Policies

 Education priorities were focused on math and science.

Discussion Question

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How did the Soviet launch of Sputnik affect American public opinion and policy?

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Americans were shocked and frightened that the Soviet Union was technological ahead of the United States in the arms race in and in the space race.

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This caused U.S. public opinion to favor a large military buildup to surpass the Soviet Union.

Brinksmanship in Action

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Brinksmanship:

Eisenhower’s willingness to threaten nuclear war to maintain peace.

Brinksmanship in Action

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Ending the Korean War (1953)

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Korean War ended with the signing of armistice only after Eisenhower threatened to use nuclear weapons.

Brinksmanship in Action

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Taiwan Crisis (1954)

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In 1954, China threatened to take over two of the islands from the Nationalists.

Eisenhower threatened use of nukes, and China retreated.

Brinksmanship in Action

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Suez Crisis (1956)

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Eisenhower offered to help finance construction of a dam on the Nile River in Egypt.

Congress forced the U.S. to withdraw the offer.

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Egyptians took control of the Suez Canal to use its profits to pay for the dam.

Brinksmanship in Action

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Suez Crisis (1956)

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British and French troops invade the Suez Canal.

Soviets threatened attacks on Britain and France.

USA pressured Britain and France to remove troops.

Soviet-American Tensions

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Stalin died in 1953.

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Nikita Khrushchev became new premier.

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Khrushchev suggested peaceful competition might be possible.

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Khrushchev visited US & Nixon visited USSR (1959) At the UN in 1960, Khrushchev caused uproar when he famously used his shoe to bang on the desk after the Philippine delegate accused the USSR of imperialism in Eastern Europe.

Soviet-American Tensions

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Eisenhower and Khrushchev Summit Meeting in Paris 1960

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Soviets shot down American spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers.

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Khrushchev stops summit.

Discussion Question

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What happened when the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 spy plane?

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Eisenhower first claimed it was a weather plane that had strayed off course.

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Khrushchev dramatically produced the pilot.

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After Eisenhower refused to apologize, Khrushchev stopped the summit in Paris.

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How might the Cold War have progressed if the U-2 incident had never occurred?