1. Eisenhower & The Cold War

2. 1949- The Soviet Union explodes
its own nuclear weapon.

3. 1949- China falls to the Communists

4. The House on Un-American Activities Committee .
HUAC

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

6. 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

7. 1950- Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
Accused of passing nuclear secrets to the Soviets.

8. 1953- The Rosenberg’s executed
for espionage by electric chair.

9. 1954- The Army-McCarthy hearings
In nationally televised hearings, McCarthy is exposed
as a bully and a fraud.

10. 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

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

12. 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

13. “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

14. 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

15. 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)

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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)

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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