2.6 - Eisenhower and Brinkmanship Flashcards
When was Eisenhower elected?
November 1952
What was Eisenhower’s aims in comparison to Truman?
- Promised tougher line towards USSR
- More threat of using nuclear weapons and on the ‘brink’ of using them
When was SEATO established?
September 1954
What was SEATO?
Collective defence alliance in an attempt to encircle the USSR and China
Who were the members of SEATO?
- GB
- Thailand
- France
- New Zealand
- USA
ETC
When did the FRG join NATO?
May 1955
When was the Warsaw Pact created?
May 1955
When did the USA test the first hydrogen bomb?
1st November 1952
Who shared power after Stalin’s death?
Khrushchev, Malenkov, Molotov, Beria and Bulganin
What was the difference in opinions towards alliances from Eisenhower to Truman?
Eisenhower saw alliances as much more important than Truman had done
Why did Eisenhower want to collect a global network or alliances?
In order to encircle the USSR and China with pro-US allies
What is a nuclear umbrella?
Nuclear ability/capacity that could be used to protect a range of allies, used to ensure that no ally would be endangered
What would USA provide to allies?
US would provide a nuclear umbrella for regional allies while they provided ground forces for regional defence against Soviet aggression.
How did the USSR respond to FRG joining NATO?
Immediately recognized the sovereignty (supreme power) of the GDR (East Germany) and created the Warsaw Pact
What was the purpose of the Warsaw Pact?
Seen to legitimise their influence in Eastern Europe as NATO had legitimised the USA’s in West Europe
When was the New Look Policy?
October 1953
What was the New Look Policy?
Focused on nuclear weapons as they argued they were cheaper to maintain than conventional arms
What was Massive Retaliation?
If the USSR attacked Western Europe they would send 3,000 nuclear warheads at important locations in the communist world and would kill around 285 million people
What was brinkmanship?
Policy of not shying away from threatening a nuclear response during a crisis
How and what did Eisenhower know about the USSR’s nuclear capability?
By 1958 data provided by U-2 spy planes meant the Eisenhower was confident that the USA had nuclear superiority over the Soviet Union
By 1954 what percentage of America’s GNP was spent on armaments?
12%
