1. Eisenhower’s Policies
Chapter 26 Section 4
Chapter 27 Section 1

2. The Economy Eisenhower believed…
The key to victory in the Cold War was military might coupled w/ a strong economy
The US had to be a model for the rest of the world
Show them that free enterprise could produce a better and more prosperous society than communism
Economic prosperity would prevent Communists from gaining support in the US and protect society from subversion

3. More Bang for the Buck “New Look” in defense policy was needed
Preparing for large-scale conventional war cost too much money
No longer maintain a large and expensive army
The nation must be prepared to use atomic weapons in all forms
Nuclear weapons gave “more bang for the buck”

4. Eisenhower as President
Dynamic conservatism
Balancing economic conservatism w/ some activism
Federal Highway Act
Largest public works program in American history

5. Prevention
Ike b/l the US could not contain communism by fighting a series of small wars
They were unpopular and too expensive
They had to be prevented from happening in the first place
Prevention Policy  Massive Retaliation
To threaten the use of nuclear weapons if a Communist state tried to seize territory by force

6. Massive Retaliation
The Massive Retaliation policy enable Eisenhower to cut military spending from $50 billion to $34 billion
He cut back the army
It cost a lot of money to maintain
He increased America’s nuclear arsenal
From about 1000 bombs in 1953 to 18,000 bombs in 1961

7. New Technology
The New Look’s weapons needed new technology to deliver them
1955 – US introduced B-52 bombers, designed to fly across continents and drop nuclear bombs anywhere in the world
B/g development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that could deliver bombs anywhere in the world
B/g to build submarines capable of launching nuclear missiles

8. The Sputnik Crisis October 4, 1957 – Soviet Union launched Sputnik
The 1st artificial satellite to orbit the earth
The launch of Sputnik alarmed Americans
They took it as a sign that the US was falling b/h the Soviets in missile technology

9. The Sputnik Crisis
Congress was worried that the nation was falling b/h in scientific research
1958 – Congress responds w/…
The creation of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
To coordinate research in rocket science and space exploration
Passed the NDEA (National Defense Education Act)
Provided funds for education and training in science, math, and foreign languages

10. Brinkmanship
Brinkmanship – the willingness to go to the brink of war to force the other side to back down
Eisenhower was willing to go to the brink of war, stare down the enemy and force them to back down
Critics argued it was too dangerous
Others supported Ike, saying that if you are not willing to go to the brink then you have already lost
The art is the ability to go to the verge of war w/o actually getting into war

11. The Korean War Ends
During his election campaign, Ike promised to end the costly and unpopular war in Korea
It was costing too many lives and too few victories
He quietly let the Chinese know that the US might continue the war “under circumstances of our own choosing”
A hint at nuclear attack
The threat seemed to work

12. The Korean War Ends July 1953 – negotiators signed an armistice
The battle line b/w the two sides b/c the border line b/w N. and S. Korea
Very near the prewar boundary
A demilitarized zone separated them
There was no victory but…
The war had stopped the spread of communism in Korea
The goal of containment

13. Containment To prevent these nations from b/c communist
America would provide financial aid
When aid was not enough the CIA would stage covert operations to overthrow anti-American leaders and replace them w/ pro-American leaders

14. Continuing Tensions
To try to improve relations, Eisenhower and Khrushchev decided to hold a summit in Paris in 1960
Summit – formal face-to-face meeting of leaders from different countries to discuss important issues
Shortly b/f the summit the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 spy plane

15. Continuing Tensions
At first, Ike claimed the aircraft was a weather plane that had strayed course
Khrushchev then produced the pilot
Eisenhower refused to apologize saying that the flights had protected US security
Khrushchev then broke up the summit