Eisenhower & The Cold War

Foreign Policy, 1953-60

Election of 1952

• WWII General and Hero• Both parties want him• Ends up going with the Republicans

Dwight D. EisenhowerWar Hero

Richard Milhous NixonSenator from California

Election of 1952

• The Issues

Election of 1952

End of the Korean War, 1953

• 1952 - Eisenhower becomes President– Promised to end war in Korea

• Negotiates end of war– 38th parallel– Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

Eisenhower Foreign Policy

• John Foster Dulles– Secretary of State

• Allen Dulles– Director of CIA– “New Look” policy

• Economic interests as well as military are important

Iran, 1953• Democratic government elected

in 1951– Mohammed Mossadeq

• British and Americans concerned over control of oil

• Operation Ajax– CIA involved in coup to restore monarchy

to Iran– Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Guatemala, 1954

• Guatemalans elect Jacobo Arbenz President– Land Reform– United Fruit Company

• Operation PBSUCCESS– Covert CIA support for coup– Military dictator restored to power

Election of 1956

• A Rematch

Pres. Eisenhower Adlai Stevenson with Estes Kefauver

Election of 1956

Hungary, 1956

• Stalin dies 1953; Replaced by Krushchev

• Spontaneous uprising of students in Hungary–Demands to remove Soviet troops

• Soviets send in Red Army and brutally crush rebellion

Consequences

Over 30,000 Hungarians dead200,000 Hungarians fleeCamp Kilmer (Rutgers)

Despite comments of support from US for Hungarian dissidents, US takes no actionWhy not?

The Suez Canal Crisis, 1956-57

• Egypt, under Nasser, nationalize Suez Canal

• British, French and Israel threaten to invade– Isreali troops invade Sinai– UK/France issue ultimatum, invade

• US/UN support Egypt

• UN Takes Canal Zone, returns to Egypt

Consequences

• Actions by Britain and France send Nasser more firmly to Soviets

• Sets stage for 1967 Arab-Israeli War

• Eisenhower asks Congress to use military force in Mideast if countries are threatened, as well as money for ME development– Eisenhower Doctrine

The Middle East

• The United Arab Republic (U.A.R.), 1958-61– Pan-Arab Nationalism– Egypt, Syria and almost Iraq– Support from USSR

Lebanon, 1958• Threatened Civil War

– Muslims v. Maronite Christians– Muslims support U.A.R.

• Operation Blue Bat– 14,000 troops sent to quell

uprising– First application of Eisenhower

Doctrine

U-2 Crisis, 1960

• US has manned spy planes (the U-2) that fly over Soviet Union

• In May 1960, one is shot down– Francis Gary Powers, CIA Pilot– US forced to acknowledge program– Eisenhower refuses to apologize– Powers later traded for Soviet spy

French Indochina

• French colony since 1887– Ho Chi Minh– After WWII wanted

independence

• Dien Bien Phu, July 1954– Last battle for French

• Geneva Peace Accords

SEATO

• Eisenhower concerned about Geneva Accords– Feels people might vote for communists

• Sec. of State, John Foster Dulles– Southeast Asia Treaty Organization– Voids Geneva Accords

President Eisenhower John Foster Dulles

Ngo Dinh Diem

• President of South Vietnam

National Liberation Front (NLF)

• Formed in 1960– Also called “Viet Cong”

• Supported by Ho Chi Minh– North Vietnam (DRV)