Eisenhower Flashcards
When did Eisenhower become president?
1553
What was Eisenhower?
A republican
Where was Ike born and why was this significant?
Texas, small town in Kansas - there were few taxes to pay towards the federal government as they did very little for the American people
Why was Ike described as a ‘do nothing president’
- Did nothing for the civil rights movement
- nothing for cold war
- didn’t stimulate economy or extend the American dream
wasn’t as forceful as Truman, especially in foreign policy he preferred to maintain peace over war whereas Truman enjoyed asserting US power
What did the Eisenhower family believe in?
‘self sufficiency’
What was Eisenhower’s promise?
To restore normality and stability
What were the expectations of Eisenhower, being a republican?
- repeal of fair deal
- restore traditional US values involving minimal government intervention
Eisenhower’s reputation
American war hero - he was supreme commander of the Allies in Europe during ww2
Why did Ike do nothing for civil rights?
believed it wasnt the role of the president to intervene
Who did Ike defeat in the 1952 presidential election?
Robert Taft
Why did Eisenhower win the 1952 presidential election?
Policies for:
- cutting federal budget (finances for foreign+defence policies)
- cutting high taxes
- removal of ‘socialised’ medicine
- support for state rights
- war hero - supreme commander of allies in Europe in ww2 - he was TRUSTED and therefore extremely popular amongst the American people
- inspirational speaker
- clever campaign, rather that attacking his democratic opponent he attacked Truman with the slogan, KIC2 (Korea, communism, corruption):
Blamed Truman for allowing soviets to reach Berlin, despite the fact that he controlled the US army at the time
Criticised T for ‘losing’ China and being soft on communism
Containment was no good, rollback policy needed
Promised to end Korean war
What did K1C2 stand for and involve
Korea, communism, corruption
Slogan used as an attack against Truman
- Ike promised to end the Korean war
- attacked policy of ‘containment’ as being ineffective and introduced a policy of ‘rollback’
- Attacked Truman for being ‘soft’ on communism for allowing Soviets to reach Berlin and for ‘losing’ China
What was Ike’s time as president remembered as?
A golden age
Americans didn’t have to worry bout problems associated with the economy or war and could enjoy an economic boom
Eisenhower - associated with economic prosperity
Eisenhower’s attitude towards domestics
‘moderate republicanism’ and ‘dynamic conservatism’
he did not share the extreme views of some ‘old guard’ republicans who believed in completely abolishing programmes such as the new deal and the fair deal. However, as president he believed he had the role to provide some additional benefits to the American people whilst favouring more limited spending than Truman. He wanted to intervene to stimulate the economy and favoured limited expansion of the new deal.
Domestic policy goals/ achievements
- Facilitating the economic boom in a moderate republican manner
- Surviving as president for 2 terms - he was extremely popular
- Ending McCarthyism, and taking control over the anti-communism hysteria
- Managed a difficult republican party
HOWEVER
Did little for civil rights
Eisenhower’s domestic policy successes
- expanded social security to cover 10 million Americans
- increased minimum wage by 25%
- established department of health, education and welfare
- made $500 million available to support the construction supported government construction of low-income housing
- 1956 interstate highway programme built a 41,000 mile road system
- introduced 2 civil rights acts in 1957 and 60
STIMULATED ECONOMY
When was the interstate highway act imposed and what did it involve?
1956
His most ambitious domestic project
Built 41,000 miles of road and made driving long distances faster and safer
Why did Eisenhower have less control over government spending during his final years as president?
Democratic control over congress
They spent more on domestic programmes than Eisenhower would’ve preferred, he used his veto to block expensive social reform programmes however, domestic spending still rose by a significant amount
From 31% of the budget in 1953 to 49% in 1961
How much did government spending on domestic programmes increase by?
1953 - 31% of the budget
1961 - 49% of the budget
How much did federal expenditure decrease during Ike’s presidency as a whole?
As a measure of GDP declined from 20.4% to 18.4% - during no presidency since Eisenhower’s has there been a decrease in federal spending s a percentage of GDP
Why might Eisenhower not be seen as responsible for economic successes?
Extremely lucky president, president at the ‘right time’
inherited economic prosperity and what was known as an ‘age of affluence’
Can be argued Ike didn’t need to intervene or take radical action as US was already heading towards stability through the ‘cycle of prosperity’ e.g. building of new, low-income homes provided employment
Roosevelts ‘new deal’ had kick started the economy, provided jobs and ended the economic depression, followed by Truman’s ‘21 point plan’ which expanded economic growth and promoted the American dream even further
The US had emerged from the war as the wealthiest most powerful nation in the world.
Other countries were in desperate need of raw materials and goods to rebuild their economy, the US was in a stable enough position to be able to aid these countries through the Marshall plan. As well as this, extremely powerful nations such as Great Britain and the USSR had been badly affected by the war - the US was at an economic advantage.
He built upon the work of T + R - would be crazy to abandon these ideas - all his work wasn’t his own ideas
Why was Eisenhower able to implement acts without being accused of what Truman had?
People were slightly less obsessed by communism - Eisenhower had put an end to the McCarthy hysteria
How many cars and telephones did Americans own?
By 1960 - half of the cars and telephones across the world
This made travel and communication far easier
How many families had televisions?
By 1960 - 90% of families
Led to the increasing popularity of sport and music. Explosion of advertisements led to a new found desire for glitz and glamour and led to the expansion of the consumer society
Improved lives for workers?
Wages rose and hours fell
Virtually all workers enjoyed at least 2 weeks of paid holiday a year
How much did the Average income of Americans increase
Twice the amount of those in the 1920s
How much did GNP increase by?
$318 billion in 1950
$488 billion in 1960
How many homes built?
Between 1945 and 50 - five million
By 1960 60% of Americans owned their homes
Created a demand for furnishing, decorations etc and contributed to the development of a consumer society which generated social and cultural change
How many still lived in poverty?
1/4
Described as ‘the other America’ - was easily ignored by most Americans and Ike himself
wasn’t rediscovered until 1960s
When did the Eisenhower economy see recessions?
A minor recession in 1954 and a more serious one in 1958 which saw 5 million Americans unemployed and a production fall of 14%
Main problem with the economic boom
different groups, such as teenagers benefitted from the economic boom far more than others. For example, teens were gaining huge amounts of freedom and opportunities whereas the elderly were becoming increasingly isolated once families started to move out of towns and into nuclear family units such as Levittown
Problem with economic boom and employment
Industrialisation made manual jobs redundant and many lost their employment status - particularly evident in 1958 which saw 5 million Americans unemployed
Problems with the economic boom and impact on US society
Many intellectuals believed the consumer society led to the American people becoming increasingly materialistic and less considerate of the less fortunate
Many also feared the consumer society was becoming far too central and was undermining traditional American values such as hard and careful money management
How much did inflation remain at?
below 2%
Most difficult domestic issue for Eisenhower
Mccarthy crisis - he was able to gain support through the media and through manipulating the US fear of communism
Senator Joseph McCarthy had been making headlines since 1950 after his accusation that there was communist sympathisers working for the US government which eventually led to the launch of the witch hunting campaign against the Truman administration
Ike’s opinion towards McCarthy
Ike also worried about communist spies or agents but disliked McCarthy’s outrageous methods which included the tendency to consider someone guilty until proved innocent
Why did Ike never criticise McCarthy publicly?
Scared it could ruin his own career through being accused himself or work to McCarthy’s advantage, increasing his own power
Actions of McCarthy in 1554
Held televised hearings on communist influence in the US army
Why did McCarthy’s accusations against the army anger Ike so much?
He felt morally obliged to defend the army - he had spent most of his adult life serving in the army
How did Ike approach the situation to ensure McCarthy’s removal from power?
He worked quietly behind the scenes to diminish the senator’s power using the US media to present McCarthy in an extremely negative way to the US people.
EXTREMELY CLEVER AND SIGNIFICANT - By 1554 60% of US homes had a television, they could have an extremely powerful political effect
McCarthy’s complete depletion of power
By the end of 1554 the Senate had voted to ensure McCarthy never had a major influence in US politics again
Where were jim crow laws derived from?
The 1896 ‘plessy v ferguson’ supreme court ruling which established state could provide ‘separate but equal’ facilities
Why did Eisenhower not really address the issue of civil rights?
He felt it wasn’t the role of the president
Believed it was a waste of time and resources
He found the situation irritating and did his best to ignore it
Grown up in an all-white town in the South and had spent most of his time growing up in the segregated armed forces - racism came naturally to him
Racist attitude expressed through his fear of marriage between blacks and whites
- known to have stated that public calls for equality did not mean black and whites had to ‘mingle socially’
Evidence Ike did have sympathy for AAs
Employed Frederic Morrow in 1955 as the only black person under Eisenhower’s government - HOWEVER this was purely for political gain and securing the black vote
What did the Brown v Board supreme court ruling declare
1954
Segregation in schools was unconstitutional and psychologically harmful to black children
Why did Ike never speak out n the 1954 supreme court ruling
Took little interest in matters involving civil rights, however, he frequently avoided commenting on court decisions as he believed federal and judicial matters should be kept separate
What could Ike’s lack of response to the 1954 supreme court ruling have caused?
Encouraged resistance to desegregation in schools
White citizens councils in the south resisted the court ruling through political action, some even went as far as to use intimidation and violence
Why did Ike have to support the supreme court ruling?
He had the constitutional responsibility to do so
When did Ike finally uphold his responsibility to show support to the supreme court ruling?
In 1957 when mobs prevented the desegregation of little rock high school in Arkansas - Governor Faubus saw the political advantages of using the national guard to prevent the entry of the 1st black students into little rock despite promising Eisenhower he would allow the students to enrol.
This led Eisenhower to dispatch federal troops after expressing he had a solemn obligation to enforce the law
Why was Eisenhower’s actions in Arkansas so significant?
First time since reconstruction that a president had sent military forces into the south to enforce federal law - huge action for someone who didn’t have sympathy for african americans??
However must be remembered he never declared that the supreme court ruling to desegregate schools was the right thing to do
How long did US troops stay in little rock for?
a year - he announced this was to protect US influence and prestige around the world - never expressed any sympathy for African Americans themselves
When was the first African American graduate?
Spring 1558 from little rock high school
Why was success short term regarding African Americans in education?
In September 1558 Governor Faubus closed all public schools to prevent their integration
By the end of Ike’s presidency just 6% of African American students attended integrated schools
How did Ike respond to Faubus closing all public schools in september 1558?
He expressed his ‘regret’ over the decisions, however took no further action - evidence for his lack of interest and care for AAs
Why did Ike send troops to Arkansas but not take any further action when Faubus closed all public schools?
He believed he had an obligation to maintain public order, not to speed school desegregation
Perhaps because… worried about US image abroad, and giving communist propagandists a reason to ‘misinterpret our whole nation’
What did the little rock crisis mainly show?
Eisenhower’s lack of care for the situation regarding AAs
The supreme courts lack of ability to enforce rulings
Explain brief events of montgomery bus boycott
In 1955 after Rosa Parks, a NAACP civil rights activist was arrested for refusing to give up her seat in the ‘white section’ of a public bus. This provoked most of the 50,000 black population of Montgomery participating in a bus boycott led by Martin Luther King. The protestors initially only demanded for courtesy on buses through having a first come first serve basis regarding seating however, this demand was reused and the boycott ended up lasting far longer than planned. The boycott involved members of the black community refusing to take the bus and choosing to travel by foot or share lifts instead. It lasted a total of 381 days and resulted in US bus companies losing 80% of their profits daily.
Initial demands of black protestors during Montgomery bus boycott
The boycott would last a day, the protestors demanded for courtesy on buses with a ‘first come first serve’ basis for seating as well as the employment of some black drivers - commissioners declined these demands which led to MLK extending the boycott to 381 days
When did the supreme court rule in desegregation of buses?
A year later, December 1956
Why was the bus boycott of 1955 successful?
- Commitment of the black church - laster 381 days. Difficult for white christians to ignore or persecute black christians
- inspirational leader - MLK who was an exceptional preacher
- Received considerable sympathy from the white press, especially in the North - media was an extremely significant factor given the nature of the consumer society - around 60% of Americans now owned a TV
Successes of the boycott
- led to supreme court ruling in December 1956 involving the desegregation of buses
- led to formation of SCLC, Southern christian leadership conference led by MLK. SCLC proved to be extremely effective, particularly at a time when the NAACP were being persecuted. It became far harder for white christians to persecute or ignore black christians
Failures of Boycott
- completely ignored by Ike
- Only Montgomery’s buses that were desegregated
- Protestors faced opposition to the boycott through intimidation and arrests by the white citizens council of montgomery HOWEVER… could be said this attracted press and media attention
Subsidiary reason for Eisenhower being reluctant to get involved in matter involving civil rights?
He believed federal power and judicial power should be kept separate
When did Eisenhower sign the 1st civil rights legislation and what did it involve?
1957
1st legislation signed since reconstruction
Provided federal protection for voting rights, only 20% of blacks in the south could vote given the fact that in most southern states AAs could not vote due to obstacles such as literacy tests or poll taxes despite their right to do so given the 15th Amendment implemented in 1870 - example of de facto segregation
When was the second civil rights legislation signed?
1960 - only involved small advances to the 1st legislation signed
Made obstructing court-ordered desegregation and obstructing black voting a federal crime
How much did the civil rights legislations increase black voters by?
Just 3% in the electoral rolls of 1960
why were the republican party reluctant to support the civil rights movement?
They had witnessed the damage it had caused the democrat party
Differing motives of Eisenhower for the legislation passed in 1957 and 60
Could just be to do with thinking about election gains for the republicans
Who did Ike appoint as chief justice of the supreme court?
Earl Warren in 1953 - brought about revolution in how the supreme court dealt with issues regarding civil rights - they became a more proactive force.
Earl Warren was highly influential in the 1954 ‘brown v board’ case
Progress for AAs - king’s opinion
Little achieved in first 2 years of the establishment of the SCLC - around 60% of AAs still lived in poverty
There was still legal, moral and social barriers to economic equality
Overall: Why was Ike forced to acknowledge the issue regarding civil rights and intervene despite his own lack of interest?
- pressure from black activists
- violent opposition from aggressive white citizens councils
- desire to maintain law and order
- concern for the US image abroad particularly given the current circumstances of the cold war
- Civil rights now at the centre of US politics
Progress for civil rights summary
- emergence of MLK - influential figure for many years to come
- 1554 ‘brown vs board’ supreme court case
- Montgomery bus boycott - significant as it was an achievement of black people proving they were able to initiate and sustain a successful protest in a dignified, morally justifiable manner
Explain Emmett Till incident
14 year old Emmett Till brutally murdered by the brother and husband of a white woman he supposedly flirted with whilst visiting southern relations in 1955. He was beaten so brutally that when Till’s body was later found in a river it was unrecognisable.
Eisenhower did not acknowledge the situation, the jury found the brother and husband not guilty and the two murderers continued to boast of their actions
What did the Emmett Till situation suggest
Southern whites continued to use violence to assert their supremacy - no laws in place to protect AAs against violence of racist white people
Eisenhower’s goals in foreign policy
- Realistic but not soft with regards to foreign policy and would act if and when he had to - KEY POINT, SHOWN THROUGH HIS PRESIDENCY PARTICULARLY W REGARDS TO CIVIL RIGHTS
- avoid direct war through a combination of diplomacy and massive retaliation
- abandoned policy of ‘rollback’ despite his election promises, too risky, dangerous and would lead to war which was counter-productive.
- Believed in Truman’s policy of ‘containment’ - wanted to pursue in a less aggressive way through strengthening capitalist countries, Truman’s current defence expenditure of $50 million would lead to inflation and economic hardships at home
Ike believed American capitalism would succeed in the end and direct aggression was unnecessary
HE WASN’T AS COMMUNIST AS PEOPLE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE
Summarise changing leadership of Soviet union
Stalin died in 1953
Replaced by Malenkov who spoke of ‘peace and understanding’ He was more moderate than Stalin and although expressed desires for a ‘new course’ he was replaced by Krushchev in 1955 as he was still associated with Stalin’s regime
Krushchev spoke of ‘peaceful coexistence’ with the west
Evidence of Eisenhower’s belief in containment
- Stated that if Soviet expansionism wasn’t controlled ‘we will find ourselves an isolated democracy in a world controlled by enemies’
- he had commanded NATO from 1950 which was a large-scale anti-soviet alliance
- His inaugration speech of 1953 which was totally focussed on the dangers of communist aggression e.g. spoke of strengthening Western Europe and ensuring the middle-east didn’t fall to communism given the fact it was rich in oil
Why was Ike expected to deal with problems in foreign policy effectively?
US war hero
Successful and effective leader as supreme commander of allies in Europe during WW2
Why was ‘peaceful coexistence with the west’ attractive to America
- Warsaw pact had just been established as a Russian counter-balance to NATO
- USSR catching up with US nuclear technology
Desire for ‘peaceful coexistence’ led to…
A summit meeting in Geneva in 1955 between USA, USSR, France and England
What was proposed at the Summit meeting in 1955?
An ‘open skies’ policy - all powers would be kept informed on the topic of military installations
What did the results of the Summit meeting suggest?
A new era of Eastern Western relations may be beginning however Krushchev’s suggestion for peaceful coexistence can often be misunderstood - he wanted peace but was willing to act aggressively to maintain the current land owned by the soviets
Summary of Truman in Vietnam
After the Japanese surrender to the USA in 1945, Vietnam, which had previously been under Japanese control had the desire to establish itself as an independent state under the control of Ho Chi Minh.
Truman had started US commitment in Vietnam through providing $2 billion to the French war, establishing MAAG which advised the French on US warfare, as well as $50 million in economic aid to the Vietnamese people. French depicted Ho Chi Minh to US as having involvement in a worldwide movement of communist expansion which inspired Truman to get involved.
Inevitable T would get involve:
- criticism he had received for ‘losing’ China in 1949 (same year Soviets tested their first atomic bomb leaving US feeling extremely threatened)
- Domestic circumstances given the Mccarthy crisis
- Truman doctrine and Marshall plan had established communism as the enemy - feared a communist takeover leaving the US without allies or trading partners, risking the US slipping back into an economic depression similar to that of the 1930s
TRUMAN OVERESTIMATED THREAT OF COMMUNISM - HO CHI MINH’S SUPPORTERS WERE ONLY ATTRACTED TO PROSPECT OF ECONOMIC EQUALITY NOT COMPLETE COMMUNISM - EXAMPLE OF US PARANOIA
Why did Ike get involved in Vietnam
He feared a communist revolution and believed in the ‘domino theory’
Ike’s actions in Vietnam
At first Eisenhower continued Truman’s methods in providing financial aid, he sent US bombers and technicians to Vietnam and gave the French $385 million worth to fight the Vietminh. However, he did not want to see American soldiers fighting on mainland Asia so soon after the end of the unpopular Korean war. He therefore refused to launch an American airstrike to help the French at the battle of Dienbienphu, this led to the French defeat at the battle of Dienbienphu.
Eisenhower then furthered US involvement after the Geneva conference through supporting the south Vietnamese president, Diem in the creation of a new, communist, southern Vietnamese state. The Eisenhower administration gave a total of $1447 million in total, as well as establishing SEATO which was a treaty that agreed to US protection over South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos
Summary of policies in Vietnam
- Continuation of Truman’s commitment in providing financial aid to the French
- refusal for direct US involvement led to defeat of French at the battle of Dienbienphu
- Support for stable, capitalist South-Vietnamese state ran by President Diem after Geneva conference
- Establishement of SEATO
Reasons for failure in Vietnam
There had been issues with Vietnam being unable to establish itself as an independent state for years due to the fact that they were rich in natural resources such as coal and iron - Ho Chi Minh had huge amounts of support from the Vietnamese people whilst the US had failed to gain the ‘hearts and minds’ of the Vietnamese people through bombing Vietnam aimlessly without specific targets, killing both communists and capitalists
Ultimate failure of Eisenhower increasing US involvement in Vietnam
QUAGMIRE THEORY
The belief that Ike had increased involvement so significantly that other presidents had no choice but to escalate involvement further `
Explain the situation with Taiwan
Post the chinese victory in 1549, nationalists who refused to accept the ‘people’s republic of China’ and Ho Chi Minh’s victory fled to Taiwan. they established Taiwan as the ‘real China’ and what is known as today as the Republic of China.
US-Chinese relations began to deteriorate after the 1954 Quemoy and Matsu crisis. Quemoy and Matsu were small islands which separated China from Taiwan which were bombarded by the Chinese after the end of the Korean war.
The head of the US armed forces pressed Eisenhower to respond to the actions of the Chinese, however, he was reluctant to do so despite the threat of communist expansionism given the size of the small islands involved, as well as the fact that he didn’t want to risk war with China.
He changed his mind and began US involvement after the Chinese started to ignore certain terms agreed through the armistice signed after the Korean war in 1953. China began to push some of their troops into South Korean territory and Ike responded with his policy of massive retaliation. He signed a treaty with Chiang Shek which committed the US to the defence of Taiwan and in 1955 he followed this treaty up through requesting permission from congress for authorisation to respond in defence to Taiwan and nearby Islands if under attack.
How successful was Ike in Taiwan
Policy of massive retaliation was a success
Chinese backed down from Quemoy and Matsu by April after Eisenhower threatened the use of nuclear weapons
Further success in 1958 after Eisenhower threatened the Chinese for a second time
where was Hungary?
Within the soviet sphere of influence
Explain events in Hungary
Many rejoiced at Stalin’s death and the succession of Krushchev in 1955 who had approached his role as leader in a more moderate, peaceful way. He had established ‘peaceful coexistence’ with the USA, France and England at a Summit meeting in Geneva in 1955 and announced the process of ‘destalinisation’ in a speech at the 20th party congress which involved the removal of Stalin’s influence after his death. The news of ‘destalinisation’ spread quickly, many rejoiced at the thought of finally being ‘free’. This led to riots in Poland, and more significant uprisings in Hungary so much so that the current communist leader ended up being removed from power who was replaced by Nagy, a leader that promised free elections, Hungary leaving the Warsaw pact and neutrality in the cold war. There was widespread belief in Hungary that the relaxed attitude of Krushchev, alongside the support of the US given the policy of ‘containment’ would ensure their success. The prospect of a hole being created in the iron curtain, and the Soviet sphere of influence decreasing was too much for Krushchev and he responded aggressively through sending Soviet troops and tanks to Budapest. 3000 Hungarians were killed and the US did little to help, apart from accepting 25,000 Hungarian refugees.
Why didn’t the US get involved with issues in Hungary?
- Didn’t want to risk prospect of ‘peaceful coexistence’ with the USSR
- Suggests Ike isn’t committed to policy of ‘rollback’ put forward in his election campaign, however, he is committed to containment
- accepted political reality that Eastern Europe was a soviet sphere of influence
- his policy of ‘massive retaliation’ stuck to - this was sensible and realistic and involved US response if they were to be threatened directly
How did Eisenhower aid the Hungarians?
Through accepting 25,000 refugees - improving US international reputation
MANY AMERICANS SAW THIS AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ROLLBACK. IKE NOT FULLY COMMITTED, REPRESENTED IN EVENTS SOON AFTER IN BERLIN
Aftermath of crisis in Hungary
Krushchev interpreted Ike’s lack of involvement as a sign of weakness and looked to extend Soviet influence further through occupying Western Germany.
In November 1948 Stalin demanded that Western powers withdrew their forces from Berlin.
Eisenhower chose to respond to this threat, he stated he would support Western Germany in their defence against the Soviets which scared Krushchev and forced him to withdraw his threat - threatened the US more directly, Berlin was symbolic of the US fight against communism and needed to be protected at all costs
EISENHOWER USED HIS AGGRESSIVE PRESENCE AND REPUTATION TO FORCE STALIN TO RETREAT
Event in 1960 that proved Ike was committed to containment policy
Found a way of accessing and undermining the soviet union through the use of covert warfare - sign of strength that Ike had found a way to defeat the soviet union and communism without direct military intervention. However when the US U2 spy plane was shot down by the Soviet union in 1960, the USA were humiliated. It was a huge propaganda disaster and allowed the Soviets to portray the Americans internationally as the enemy
How did Ike bring the Korean war to an end?
His threat of the use of nuclear weapons as part of his policy of ‘massive retaliation’ led to the end of the Korean war. An armistice was signed in 1953 that had been proposed by the Chinese 3 years ago.
Why can Ike in Korea be seen as a failure?
Didn’t commit to his policy of ‘rollback’ - North Korea still communist. Ike wasn’t as committed to removing the threat of communism as people believed
Why was Ike far more popular than the rest of the republican party?
He recognised America was changing as well as the popularity of Roosevelt’s ‘new deal’ - adopted an approach of moderate republicanism and dynamic conservatism
Why did the ‘old guard’ republicans question whether Eisenhower was a committed republican?
They wanted a complete return to traditional republicanism
Eisenhower was progressive and believed in a more moderate and dynamic form of republicanism
‘old guard’ oppositions to Ike’s foreign policy
- opposed Korean war peace terms
- wanted Ike to abandon agreements made at Yalta as it encouraged soviet expansionism
- improved Soviet relations through ‘peaceful coexistence’ signalled US recognition of the Soviet East European empire
- Furious when Ike invited Krushchev to the US in 1959
What ‘old guard’ policies in domestics did Eisenhower disagree with?
- investigating communists in the US government
- completely abandon policies of the new deal
- tax cuts
