1953-1961
34 th President

Born Texas 1890
Grew up in Abilene, Kansas
3 of 7 sons
Excelled in sports
Graduated from West Point
Supreme Allied Commander Europe (WW2)
Planned and executed D-Day
Five Star General

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Cold War and threat of nuclear destruction loomed over America
War in Korea
Red Scare (McCarthyism)
Domestically: prosperity, suburbs, rock-n-roll, “ Happy
Days ” and “ I Love Lucy ”
Civil Rights Movement in high gear (Emmett Till, Rosa
Parks, MLK Jr.)

Dwight Eisenhower
(Republican) Adlai Stevenson (Democrat)

First time television played major role in presidential campaign
Stevenson was Governor of Illinois. Rich family.
Princeton Graduate, lawyer
Republican platform: claimed Democrats were soft on communism
Called for “ modern Republicanism ” (moderating the
New Deal)

Eisenhower won with 57% of popular vote
Ended Democrat rule for past 20 years http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/19
52

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Richard Nixon selected as V.P. candidate
Nixon accused of benefitting from a trust fund by
Calif. Businessman
Nixon gave Checker ’ s Speech to save his campaign http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/richardni xoncheckers.html

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“ hidden-hand presidency ”
Delegation of authority
Cabinet nicknamed “ eight millionaires and a plumber ”
Ran the presidency like a military operation; chain of command to be followed

Most lasting legacy: National Interstate and Defense
Highways Act of 1956 (constructed a nationally integrated highway system). Cost 26 billion over 10 year period. 42,000 miles of interstate highways linking all the major cities. (used fed money to build highways in name of national defense)
Authorized the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) following the launching of
Sputnik in 1957. Build missiles and explore space

1955 Eisenhower suffered a heart attack and had major surgery
Democrats questioned his health
Four years of peace and prosperity made him very popular
Rematch with Adlai Stevenson. Won by even bigger margin than 1952 http://www.270towin.com/

Most of Eisenhower ’ s attention for both terms focused on foreign policy and international crises arising from Cold
War
John Foster Dulles: Sect. of State and major contributor to his foreign policy
Critical of Truman ’ s “ Policy of Containment ” (too passive)
Wanted the U.S. to push Communist powers to the “ brink of war ” . Believed they would back down because of our nuclear superiority

Place greater reliance on nuclear weapons & air power; less on conventional forces
More “ bang for the buck ”
Policy known as
“ brinkmanship ”
More like a policy for mutual extinction!

Colonial Empires collapsed after WW2
1947-1962 dozens of colonies in Asia and Africa gained their independence (India, Pakistan, Indonesia,
Ghana)
Lacked stable political and economic institutions; looking for foreign aid—U.S. or S.U. (pawns in the
Cold War)

Korea (ended in 1953)
Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam). French lost control
U.S. gave over 1 billion in economic and military aid to South Vietnam to stop communism from spreading
(domino theory)
SEATO: 8 nation defense pact to prevent the fall of communism in southeast Asia

Difficult balancing act of maintaining friendly ties with oilrich Arab nations and the new state of Israel (1948)
President Nasser (Egypt) asked U.S. for aid to build the
Aswan Dam project on the Nile River. U.S. refused due to their treatment of Israel. Nasser turned to S.U.
July 1956 Nasser seized control of the Suez Canal (owned by
France & G.B.). Transported ¾ of western oil
G.B., France, Israel launched a surprise attack against Egypt and retook the canal

U.S. pledged economic and military aid to any Middle
Eastern country threatened by communism
U.S. replaced G.B. and France as the leading Western influence in the Middle East
Competing with the Soviet influence
1956 new Soviet Premier: Nikita Khrushchev
Called for “ peaceful coexistence ” with U.S.

Russians shot down a high-altitude U.S. spy plane over the Soviet Union
Gary Powers captured by Soviets
U.S. conducting regular spy flights over the Soviet territory to find out about their missile program
Tensions once again grew!