Postwar America

American History Chapter 26-1

The Eisenhower Era

Election of 1952• Truman was exempt from the 22nd Amendment, but

chose not to run for re-election.• Dem. Adlai Stevenson v. Rep. Dwight Eisenhower.– Eisenhower promised to end the Korean War.– His running mate was Richard Nixon.

• Gave the famous “Checkers” speech.

1952 Election Results

The Cold War Under Eisenhower• Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles:– Brinkmanship: Build more nuclear weapons & use them as

a threat to the Soviets.• Threaten war without actually going to war.

– Massive retaliation: Pledge by the U.S. to use all weapons necessary against the Soviets if they struck first.

• CIA: Central Intelligence Agency: Created to spy on foreign governments.– Also planned & carried out covert operations.

Dulles

Soviet Union• Nikita Khrushchev succeeded Stalin in 1953.– Communist dictator & bitter rival of the U.S.

• Formed the Warsaw Pact in 1955:– Military alliance of the Soviet-dominated countries.

Soviet Control in Eastern Europe• The Soviets put down revolts in Poland & Hungary.• Eisenhower & Khrushchev held a summit in 1955.– Eisenhower proposed an “open skies” treaty.– The Soviets rejected it.

• U-2 spy plane incident: 1960– The Soviets shot down a U.S. U-2 spy plane over the Soviet

Union.– The pilot, Francis Powers, was captured & held for 2 yrs.

Cold War Hot Spots• North & South Vietnam were established:– North Vietnam to be Communist & South Vietnam to be

Anti-Communist.

• SEATO: Southeast Asia Treaty Organization formed.– Agreed to resist Communist aggression.

• Jewish & Arab tension grew in the Middle East with the independence of Israel.

• 1954: Egypt’s leader, Gamal Nasser, seized control of the Suez Canal.– France & Britain sent in troops & the Soviets threatened to

get involved.– Eisenhower convinced France & Britain to pull out.

The U.S. Exerts Influence

• Eisenhower Doctrine: Jan. 1957:– Declared the right of the U.S. to help any nation in the

Middle East to resist armed Communist aggression.