Eisenhower & The Cold War

1949- The Soviet Union explodes its own nuclear weapon.

1949- China falls to the Communists

The House on Un-American Activities Committee . HUAC

Hollywood becomes the focus of the new “Red Scare” of the 1940s-1950s.

1950-Senator Joseph McCarthy The Wisconsin Senator was looking for a campaign issue to earn him some media attention to help him get re-elected. McCarthy claims to have a list of 205 known communist agents working in the US State Department. McCarthyism- The use of unproven accusations to label someone as a communist. 1950-Senator Joseph McCarthy

1950- Ethel and Julius Rosenberg Accused of passing nuclear secrets to the Soviets.

1953- The Rosenberg’s executed for espionage by electric chair.

1954- The Army-McCarthy hearings In nationally televised hearings, McCarthy is exposed as a bully and a fraud.

Dwight Eisenhower Elected in 1952 1953 – 1961 (President) Nicknamed “Ike” Highly popular due to his efficient military leadership during WWII Staunchly anti-communist, but also dedicated to scaling back military spending Chose to focus on a build up of nuclear weapons as a cheaper way to deter communist aggression

Nuclear Holocaust? After the Soviets acquired the atomic bomb, Americans became highly paranoid about the potential for a nuclear attack against the US

Fallout Shelters Many families constructed special underground bunkers which they stocked with food, water, and other essentials in case of an attack Cities also designated subway tunnels and other reinforced underground structures as public shelters

“Duck and Cover” Students were taught to “duck and cover” in the event of a surprise attack through training films and special drills While such efforts reassured the public, in reality they offered little, if any, real protection in the event of an actual nuclear attack

Nuclear Arms Race Soviets and Americans rapidly built enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world many times over “MAD” (Mutually Assured Destruction) was the theory that the more nuclear weapons both sides had, the safer the world was because it made a nuclear war unwinnable for both sides

Domino Theory Eisenhower believed strongly in the idea that if a single nation fall to communism, it would set off a chain reaction where its neighbors would also fall to communism (like dominos)

Communism in Cuba Many US business held large investments in Cuba during the 1950s Those investments were jeopardized when Cuba’s government was overthrown by communist rebels under the leadership of Fidel Castro US leadership were equally alarmed by the seizure of over $1 billion worth of property in Cuba owned by Americans Scared of having a communist state 90 miles off the US coast

Eisenhower Doctrine In 1957, Eisenhower pledged US assistance to any nation in the Middle East which found itself threatened by communism Almost immediately, US forces were sent to Lebanon to help that government combat communist rebels

Nikita Khrushchev Soviet leader Named head of the Soviet Union after the death of Stalin in 1953 More liberal than Stalin in Soviet domestic issues, but more confrontational in foreign policy, pushing the Soviet Union to the brink of war with the US on several occasions

The U-2 Incident 1960 Just weeks before a major peace summit, the Soviets shot down an American spy plane over their airspace and captured the pilot, Francis Gary Powers Marked a turning point in US-Soviet relations, as the peace summit was cancelled and the American pilot was tried as a spy and sentenced to prison (the Soviets later traded him back to the US for one of their own spies)

The Space Race Starting in 1957, technologies were used to compete against each other for control of outer space – a multi-billion dollar “space race” to see who could accomplish certain objectives or discoveries first The development of missile technologies allowed both sides to mount atomic warheads onto long-range rockets which could be launched against distant targets

Sputnik The first satellite to attain orbit around the earth Sputnik I launched by the Soviets in Oct. 1957, followed by Sputnik II (which carried the first living creature into space, a dog named Laika) in November These launches triggered a panic in the US, as Americans worried that the Soviets were gaining a technological advantage over the US

National Defense Education Act of 1958 Law which provided for dramatically increased spending on education, especially in science, math, and foreign languages Passed in response to the belief that the US was falling behind the Soviets in scientific and technological fields Increased the number of high-school graduates who went on to college from less than 15% in 1950 to over 40% by 1970

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration Created in 1958 Civilian agency which was created to take over space exploration programs from the various military branches to increase coordination and efficiency