1. Eisenhower’s Cold War Policies
Massive Retaliation

2. More bang for the buck
Believed having a strong economy was as important as a strong military
Wanted to show the world that with the free enterprise system America’s economy was strong
Decided that rather than spending a lot of money on the military, America should invest in nuclear weapons
Rather than fight lots of small wars like the Korean war, Eisenhower believed in “massive retaliation” or use nuclear weapons to threaten other countries.

3. Brinkmanship
The nuclear arsenal went from about 1,000 bombs in to about 18,000 bombs in 1961
Critics of Eisenhower’s policy called it brinkmanship because it kept us on the brink of war all the time
Eisenhower used the atomic bomb as a threat multiple times

4. Covert Operations
Eisenhower sent CIA members into other countries mostly developing countries
A lot of these countries looked to communism as the answer
The CIA ran operations to overthrow anti-American leaders and replace them with pro- American leaders

5. Covert Operation in Iran
The Iranian prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh, was overthrown in a coup organized by the CIA who then returned the pro- American Shah to power

6. Guatemalan Covert Operations
Communist leader, Jacobo Arbenz Guzman was elected president of Guatemala
His land reform program took over the American owned United Fruit Company
In 1954 communist Czechoslovakia delivered arms to Guatemala
The CIA responded by arming the Guatemalan opposition and trained them in secret camps
These forces invaded and Guzman left office

7. The Eisenhower Doctrine
The president of Egypt worked with Jordan and Syria to spread pan-Arabism
Eisenhower asked Congress to authorize the use of military force whenever the president thought it necessary to assist the Middle East resist Communist aggression

8. The Suez Canal Crisis
120 mile canal connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea

9. Nikita Khrushchev
At first Khrushchev was willing to work a little with the west
Accused the capitalist countries of starting a feverish arms race
In 1957 Sputnik was launched and Khrushchev boasted “We will bury capitalism, your grandchildren will live under communism
He then later demanded that the allied troops withdraw from West Berlin
Threatened Russia with NATO retaliation
The Soviets backdowned

10. U-2 Plane American U-2 spy plane was shot down by the Soviets
Eisenhower claimed it was a weather plane that strayed off course
Khrushchev produced the pilot and
The Paris Summit was a complete failure
Everything looked pretty bleak