Chapter 46

1. Chapter 46 Cold War Strategies The Eisenhower and Kennedy Years 1953–1963

2. The Middle of the Road • Eisenhower and Kennedy very different presidents • Their era a time of prosperity and optimism • Eisenhower’s Dynamic Conservatism • Ike’s advisors oppose government welfare programs • Ike forces advisors to adopt government programs to aid people, example is polio vaccine • Ike warns against “military industrial complex” • Eisenhower’s moderation • Ike has traditional values • Ike worries about size of government, budget • Ike uses businessmen as advisors • Ike a pragmatist, not an ideologue

3. Fifties Foreign Policy • Cold War continues • U.S. less vulnerable to nuclear attack than Soviets • Nuclear war against citizens, not soldiers • Nuclear war unacceptable morally, politically • Secretary of State John Foster Dulles has strong credentials • Calvinist Dulles sees Communism as virtually satanic • Dulles becomes unpopular with Third World and allies • Dulles helps create anti-American revolutionaries

4. Fifties Foreign Policy (cont.’d) • Dulles frequently backs dictators • U.S. helps unpopular Shah of Iran gain power 1953 • U.S. overthrows elected Guatemalan leader 1951 • Refuses to help Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam • Dulles favors “brinkmanship” • U.S. propaganda encourages overthrow of Communism • U.S. refuses to back anti-Communist rebellions • Peaceful Coexistence • Nikita Khrushchev gains power in Soviet Union • Khrushchev could be coarse or charming • Khrushchev denounces Stalin’s tactics • Khrushchev calls for “peaceful coexistence

5. Fifties Foreign Policy (cont.’d) • Summitry and the U-2 • Eisenhower takes over foreign policy, 1959 • Khrushchev visits U.S.; tensions ease • U-2 spy plane goes down deep in U.S.S.R. • American–Soviet tensions increase

6. 1960: Changing of the Guard • John F. Kennedy (JFK) • Claimed Eisenhower created “Missile gap” • “Missile gap” unfounded, but real number classified • Kennedy follows a moderate road as senator • Democrats unsure South will vote for Catholic • JFK wins nomination • 22nd Amendment keeps Ike from 3rd term • Republicans nominate Richard Nixon • Democrats believe Nixon can be beat • Democratic support from blacks, unions, cities, ethnic Americans

7. 1960: Changing of the Guard (cont.’d) • Close election • JFK’s running mate Lyndon Johnson • Nixon defends Ike’s policies, runs strong campaign • Popular vote extremely close, but JFK wins • “Packaging” of candidate one result of election • Camelot • JFK projects attractive image • JFK wins hearts of most Americans • Americans call Kennedy White House Camelot

8. Kennedy Foreign Policy • Flexible response • JFK adopts flexible response and containment • Prepares for covert operations, increases spy network • JFK prefers backing Democratic reform movements • Often only reactionaries willing to be U.S. allies • Bay of Pigs • U.S. invades Cuba to overthrow Castro • Cubans do not join the rebellion • Invasion, rebellion fail miserably • Invasion pushed Castro into Soviet arms • Berlin wall • East Germany suffering “brain drain” to West • Khrushchev builds wall around West Berlin • JFK sees wall as propaganda disaster for Soviets • JFK lets wall stand rather than invade East Germany

9. Kennedy Foreign Policy (cont.’d) • Cuban missile crisis • U.S. discovers Soviets installing missiles in Cuba • JFK sets up naval blockade, demands withdrawal • Khrushchev offers counter demand • Khrushchev withdraws, U.S. promises not to invade Cuba • JFK assassinated in Dallas, Texas • Lee Harvey Oswald arrested, then killed • Warren commission says Oswald acted alone • Few Americans accept Warren Commission

10. Discussion Questions • Examine Eisenhower’s foreign policy. How well did it deal with the Soviet threat? • How did Nikita Khrushchev change Soviet-American relations? • What was the U-2 crisis? How did Ike handle it? What affect did his lying to the people have on the office of the presidency? • How did JFK deal with the threat of missiles in Cuba? Diplomatically, how did he handle the Russians? How close was the world to atomic war?