Eisenhower Foreign Policy

Question 1

What was Eisenhower’s New look foreign policy about?

Answer 1

Eisenhower new foreign policy was about to ensure that the military spending is being controlled( You can state that this was partially due to the idea of dynamic conservatism “Conservative when it comes to money, liberal when it comes to human beings”). His foreign policy was also bout to enhance the usage of covert operations such as CIA and also call for re-orientation of defense around nuclear weapons.

Question 2

Who was John Foster Dulles and what did he believe in?

Answer 2

John Foster Dulles was appointed by Eisenhower his secretary of state and he was an advocate and an anti communist who advocated massive retaliation who drew a clear distinction between policy, the remit of NSC and day to day operations.

Question 3

Define Brinkmanship

Answer 3

Pushing an opponent to the edge in the hope that they will concede first. This was used to end the Korean war.

Question 4

What significance Allen Dulles brought to Eisenhower’s administration

Answer 4

Dulles introduced to the idea of brinkmanship which was vital to bring the Korean war to an end also he was the director of the CIA. Dulles also supported the idea of USA providing support to the French against Vietnam.

Question 5

What happened in 1953

Answer 5

Joseph Stalin died bringing Nikita Khrushchev in charge of the Soviet Empire. Riots had immediately broke out in East Germany which had to be suppressed while the power vacuum was addressed by the Kremlin.

Question 6

What did Khrushchev stated in his secret speech in 1956?

Answer 6

He stated that Stalin’s cult is not gonna be continued , Stalin’s way of persuading things is going to change and that he hoped to co exist with the west.

Question 7

What does Mutually Assured Destruction means?

Answer 7

military policy in case of nuclear attacks where any state that instigates a nuclear conflict will be met with an onslaught of nuclear weapons against their own state in return.

Question 8

Why Space race was significant in cold war?

Answer 8

Americans had this analogy of USSR making the space ‘red’ which meant that Soviet union could use the space into there advantage to attack America by using satellites etc.

Question 9

When was the first Sputnik launched?

Answer 9

4th October 154, it was the first man made object in space which was a 58 cm polished metal that orbited around the earth until Jan 1958.

Question 10

What did the launch of Sputnik do to America’s postion?

Answer 10

It made America’s position as a technological power look shaky due to USSR successfully launching an object in space.

Question 11

US Vanguard failure what did it do to US’S position in cold war?

Answer 11

Well the failure of the US Vanguard TV3 rocket caused US newspaper to criticize US space program which made USA look weak in term of cold war as people at home were happy regards to the failure. This was significant as USA by 1958 clearly lacked the technological advancement same as USSR making Communism as an ideology look effective compared to capitalism.

Question 12

Who was Werner von Braun?

Answer 12

He was a brilliant aerospace engineer who was an ambivalent member of the Nazi party who was an ambivalent member of the Nazi party. He surrendered to US forces at the end of the war and was soon employed by the army to develop rocket technology. After the failure of TV3 Eisenhower administration relied heavily on him.

Question 13

Explain the arms race?

Answer 13

After the bombing on Hiroshima both the superpowers had locked into an arms race to develop a more powerful bomb with greater range and accuracy.

Question 14

In 1957 what was the production state of nuclear weapons in USA compared to USSR

Answer 14

In 1957 the US had a stockpile of 5543 nuclear weapons compared to USSR who only had 650 which made later Kennedy state that the idea of ‘missile gap’ was ludicrous.(so out place or foolish)

Question 15

What was the idea of missile gap?

Answer 15

This was a perception that Eisenhower’s administration and citizens in America had which was that the soviets had surpassed the USA in terms of the number,range and power of their missile gap. Eisenhower had approved regards to the usage of U2 spy planes in order to clear this doubt of a missile gap.

Question 16

What did the Gaither Report stated?

Answer 16

The report warned that the soviet union could have a “significant” ICBM capability by the end of 1959, making the strategic air command’s bomber fleet vulnerable to surprise attack “during a period of lessened world tension.

Question 17

How did Eisenhower’s new look foreign policy links to dynamic conservatism?

Answer 17

New look proposed a cost- effective response to communist aggression by balancing cold war military commitments with the nation’s financial resources to ensure that the economy was never overstretched ensuring that the country didn’t go through any recessions unlike in Truman’s administration as the Korean War had caused a rise in inflation. Dynamic conservatism being the idea of “conservative when it comes to money but liberal when it comes to human beings” which as said before clearly links to Eisenhower foreign policy.

Question 18

What was this idea of Massive Retaliation?

Answer 18

Dulles again stretched that the US allies must be ready to battle against communism specifically the soviet union creating this sense of massive retaliation.

Question 19

Define Destalinisation?

Answer 19

The process of trying to remove the influence of Stalin after his death by revising his policies and dislodging the cult of personality surrounding him. This process was introduced by Khrushchev which stopped the tensions between the two superpowers from rising for a bit. This idea began when Khrushchev gave the ‘secret speech’ to the audience. However, this idea created this sense of freedom among st the citizens of countries under the Warsaw pact such as Hungary, Poland etc so the CIA surveillance to help the motive of these rebels increased.

Question 20

Hungary Crises elaborate how it began?

Answer 20

After the idea of desalinization spread across Hungary people started to protest against the communist party( Khrushchev’s idea was backfiring at him). The defacto leader of the communist party in Hungary was Ragasoki who was further replaced by Imre Nagy who imposed the communist views. Nagy had promised the restoration of private land’s (which would be profitable for landowners rather than everything going in the hands of the government) and also promised free elections. Nagy also declared that Hungary was going to leave the Warsaw pact.

Question 21

Who were the CIA?

Answer 21

Central intelligence Agency formed under Truman’s administration as part of the National Security Act 1947 has a remit involving gathering intelligence about Foreign Government co operation and individuals analyzing the evidence and feeling the analysis to policy makers.
1948 they were given permission to carry out covert operations.
These operations had a main focus to see if the idea of communism is expanding within a country or if a country is trying to leave communism. This was probably to back the idea of Truman Doctrine ( America will willingly provide financial and militaristic support to countries who are resisting armed subjugation from armed minorities).

Question 22

Why did many believe that Eisenhower will support Hungary’s cause?

Answer 22

Well the reason being was that Eisenhower was given the title of the liberator of Europe due to his involvement in WW2 ( organizing operation overload’D day’) so naturally people believed that Eisenhower will support Hungary.

Question 23

Why possibly Eisenhower didn’t support Hungary’s cause ?

Answer 23

-Hungary being too far into the Iron Curtain and Eisenhower getting involved would increase tensions between the two superpowers.
- With elections lying near Eisenhower didn’t want to risk being disliked by the people as he had saw previously Truman gaining a lot of hatred for being involved with Korea.

Question 24

How did Khrushchev responded to Hungarians?

Answer 24

Well first off this policy had backfired at Khrushchev as it made the Soviet empire weak but also his own party members started to question whether he was the right candidate for the job. Hungarians threatening to leave the Warsaw Pact was too much for Khrushchev.
Khrushchev decided to send troops and tanks in Budapest in the year of 1956 where 3000 people were killed and 200,000 people fled to neighboring countries for protection such as Austria.

Question 25

Analytical comment on this crises?

Answer 25

Well this clearly shows how Khrushchev ideas of desalinizing the Soviet policies had backfired at him and also showed that the idea of containment and the new look foreign policy was limited as Eisenhower’s administration weren’t successful at aiding the Hungarians cause. Khrushchev realized how his idea had created this sense of an attempt of freedom from the Soviet Empire and made them look weak. The failure of the USA to come to aid of Hungary in 1956 made it abundantly clear that the world was divided into two spheres.

Question 26

What was Khrushchev’ s goal when it came to Berlin?

Answer 26

After he was successful in winning the battle over Hungary h started to look at long term goals when it came to Berlin and his main aim was to remove the control of the Western powers over Germany so Germany will just belong to USSR.

Question 27

1958 Berlin?

Answer 27

10th November 1958 Khrushchev demanded that the Western Powers pull their forces out of West Berlin with 6 months. Eisenhower was aware of the fact hat a situation like Berlin Airlift is very unlikely to happen given the growth of the city since 1948. Khrushchev lacking the border meant that 20% of the citizens escaped to the Western Bloc which made communism look fragile.

Question 28

What happened at the Geneva Conference?

Answer 28

Geneva conference was upheld in which Eisenhower denied to oppose the USSR demand. This shows how the progress was limited but sufficient for Eisenhower to invite Khrushchev to the US for further talks.

Question 29

What happened after the conference?

Answer 29

The soviet met with Eisenhower at camp David where they agreed with no deadline to solve the question of Berlin but did agree that Eisenhower would go to Berlin the following year.

Question 30

U2 Spy plane crises summary?

Answer 30

Eisenhower’s administration especially by Allen Dulles were worried about there actually being a missile gap between the 2 superpowers which had caused Eisenhower to initiate the U2 spy plane program and he also did it to show how there is not such thing as a missile gap.
However things took a turn when on 1st May 1960 a U2 spy plane was shot. Khrushchev who thought was close to Eisenhower felt betrayed. Assuming the pilot had been killed the Americans announced that a weather plane had been lost near the Turkish border.
Khrushchev announced the pilot Gary Powers alive on 5th May forcing Eisenhower to admit that he had ordered spying missions.

Question 31

What happened after the U2 spy plane?

Answer 31

A proposed conference between the two in Paris broke down, after the arrival of Khrushchev he announced his demands and decided to postpone the conference for the next 6 months ensuring that the problems would be dealing with the next president in line (Kennedy). Tactical move i order for Khrushchev establishing better terms with the new president and also maybe possibly to have his terms.

Question 32

How did Eisenhower deal with Korea?

Answer 32

Eisenhower went to Korea on 2nd December 1952 and decided that drastic action was required due to the conditions that the people were suffering as well as soldiers as during the Korean war it was suggested that 120,000 soldiers had lost there lives. He combined diplomacy along with clear plans of intent about US military power over the next 7 months brought the Korean authority on negotiating table. 27th July 1953 an armistice was signed leaving the Korean Peninsula.

Question 33

1956 Life magazine?

Answer 33

Dulles described his strong feelings regards to the US of the nuclear weapons on China and North Korea if any sort of threat imposed to America . This was initially just to scare the countries as previously they had seen how much damage a nuclear weapon could do during WW2 ( Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing) and also America had telecast ed the bombing in the year of 1955. This policy is what was known as brinkmanship this was backed by the increase spending of NSC -68.
Clearly conflicted with Truman’s foreign policy as it was all bout containing however now America is willing to attack.

Question 34

Peace treaty with Taiwan?

Answer 34

Due to the outbreak of thee Korean War Taiwan became strategically important for the US.
Jieshi’s willingness to allow Taiwan to be used as a base of US naval operations ensured a degree of security to the Island which was important as Mao had ordered to shell 2 islands controlled by Taiwan but close to mainland in 1954.
Eisenhower responded to this by securing the Formosa resolution in JAN 1954 with only 6 of 494 members of Congress voting against.
The SINO american Mutual defense treaty was established in 1955 which was a continuing of the Truman Doctrine.

Question 35

What was happening in Vietnam before Eisenhower’ administration?

Answer 35

Under the rule of Ho chi minh the communist party in Vietnam was trying to gain independence from the French empire and to there surprise US was aiding the French and going against there idea of self determination which shocked the Vietminh’s and Ho chi minh himself.
The USA provided the French involvement with 78% so all of there resources.

Question 36

What did Eisenhower himself do when it came to Vietnam

Answer 36

Eisenhower agreed to provide support to the French by aiding them with B-26 bombers. Eisenhower also had plans of operation vulture which was US intervening Vietnam but eventually was rejected by Eisenhower himself.
20th July 1954 partition in Vietnam into 2 states North and South with a promise to hold elections in both June 1956.
However, Eisenhower thought that Ho chi minh is going to win the elections due to his motive. And in 1953 a corrupted anti-communist Diem took fraudulent elections in 1953 which again showed how America’s policy are questioned when it comes to communism.
This is also caused SEATO to be formed which was a copy of NATO but in Asia.

Question 37

The importance of Iraq to US and Dulles?

Answer 37

Iraq was strategically important due to there dependence of oil and also to Dulles due to him trying to establish treaties in order to control the Soviet Expansion. This led to Dulles to approve a CIA plot to depose Mossadegh in 1953, following the decision to nationalize the oil which would have had an impact on many Western powers.

Question 38

The creation of CENTO?

Answer 38

This was a second parallel to NATO and had the following countries Iran, Turkey, the UK and Pakistan. Dulles policy foundered when the Iraqian monarchy was overthrown in 1958 allowing the Soviets to establish friendly relations with the Iraq government.

Question 39

Why did the Suez crises start?

Answer 39

In the month of July 1956 the Egyptian leader Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal and this was due to the tax he will receive by other countries could be funded to Aswan dam.

Question 40

Who were going to fight against this?

Answer 40

Israel + France + the UK they bombed Cairo when they least expected and Eisenhower didn’t supported them as elections were on the way and instead Eisenhower used financial pressure to remove British and the French into a humiliating withdrawal.

Question 41

Eisenhower doctrine?

Answer 41

Introduced by Eisenhower in 1957 it was that US was willing to provide assistance to any nation requesting assistance to be protected from any country under the influence of communism.