Eisenhower - Foreign Policy

Question 1

Aims

Answer 1

Prevent Western Europe from going communist
Prevent Middle Eastern oil from being controlled by communists
Help France stay in control in Vietnam, prevent it going communist
Keep US strong by not overspending on defence

Question 2

New Look defence policy

Answer 2

Massive retaliation
Brinkmanship
Use of CIA and covert warfare
Avoid "boots on the ground"
Rollback - not containment
Intended to not strain the US economy

Question 3

USSR

Answer 3

Stalin died in 1953
Kruschev wanted peaceful coexistence, and was willing to meet with Western leaders
He attacked the cult of Stalin (in the “secret speech”) and wanted to de-stalinise Russia

Question 4

Warsaw Pact

Answer 4

1955
Response to West German rearmament and NATO membership
Mutual assistance pact between USSR and Eastern European communist states
Gave USSR command of the states’ armed forces

Question 5

West German Rearmament

Answer 5

Started in 1954
A response to USSR having nuclear weapons and fear about Europe
Eisenhower had to persuade France to allow this
West Germany joined NATO in 1955

Question 6

Hungary

Answer 6

1956
Protests turn into a revolution
Rebels expect US help, due to the policy of rollback
US didn’t send any aid
Russian forces crushed the rebellion - thousands killed
Eisenhower gave a speech condemning the Russian action

Question 7

Sputnik

Answer 7

1957
USA is losing the space race
Fear over a missile gap spreads in America
Formed NASA in response

Question 8

U2 Plane

Answer 8

1960
US spy plane caught over Turkey
Eisenhower claimed it was a weather plane
Cost US influence/ trust with Kruschev

Question 9

Iranian Coup

Answer 9

Coup took place in 1953
In 1951, Mossadegh nationalised Iranian oil at the expense of British companies
US saw this as socialist
In 1953, CIA threw out Mossadegh and replaced him with the Shah and General Zahedi by inciting riots and using the military
Example of supporting any awful regime as long as it wasn’t communist

Question 10

Suez crisis

Answer 10

1956
Egyptian president nationalised the Suez canal - had been controlled by the Suez Canal company, controlled by French/British companies
UK/USA had refused to finance Aswan High Dam being built due to Nasser’s communist ties
Britain, France and Israel invaded to try and regain the canal
This failed
Eisenhower was angry that his allies had acted without telling him

Question 11

Vietnam

Answer 11

French lost at Dien Bien Phu in 1954
Geneva agreement, split into communist North and capitalist South - 1954
US advisors sent, no boots on the ground
Ngo Dinh Diem installed as Southern leader
Partial containment, not rollback
Short term success, long term failure
This is the commitment to Vietnam

Question 12

Korea

Answer 12

Eisenhower had made an election promise to end the war
Visited Korea as president-elect
Used negotiation on North Korea
Threatened nuclear war on China
A ceasefire was reached
Korea was divided at the 38th parallel
Not rollback, same situation as before the war

Question 13

Matsu and Quemoy

Answer 13

1958
China bombed Taiwanese islands 
USA backed Chiang Kai Shek as leader of capitalist Taiwan
Used brinkmanship on China
Reckless but effective