Eisenhower's Background + 1952 election Flashcards
What was Eisenhower’s military background prior to 1952? (3 examples)
Attended West Point military Academy (1911-15)
Commanded American Forces in Europe + Army Chief of Staff (1942-5)
NATO Commander (1950)
Where did Eisenhower grow up? Why did this environment shape his politics?
A small. midwestern town (Abilene, Kansas)
They were self-sufficient - a belief Eisenhower continued throughout his life (‘Self-sufficiency was the watchword’ - Milton Eisenhower)
Which infamous army general praised Eisenhower in the 1930s, and what did he say?
General MacArthur - ‘The best officer in the army’
How effective was Eisenhower as a General during WWII? (2 examples)
He ‘drew the hearts of men towards him’ (Bernard Montgomery)
Given command of the D-Day landings in France (1944)
What did the success of WWII do for Eisenhower’s ego? What is an example of this?
He came out of the war with supreme self-confidence bordering arrogance
1957 - while reading Bernard Montgomery’s memoirs - ‘(Monty) doesn’t want to say I was responsible for winning the war’
After WWII, why was Eisenhower not willing to run for President at first?
He insisted that he found politics ‘distasteful’ and had the ‘slightest interest’ in it
Why did Eisenhower ultimately choose to run for President in 1952? (2 examples)
He was anxious of the US foreign + defence policy being left in the hands of either Truman or Taft
He felt like it was his ‘duty’ to run
What had Eisenhower labelled Taft as in 1951?
In 1951, Eisenhower had told a reporter that Taft was ‘a very stupid man.’
How did Eisenhower win the 1952 election? (3 examples)
Selecting Nixon as his running mate to appease the Old Guard
Appealed to conservatives due to his opposition to federal budget deficits
Most voters trusted the nation’s security to a ‘war hero’ like him
What was Eisenhower’s nickname in the election? How did this help him?
Ike - it was short and catchy (‘I like Ike’ was the motto on the voter badge)
Who were the Old Guard? And who was the most prominent one?
Conservative Republicans
Senator Robert A. Taft
Why was the selection of Nixon as running mate strategic for Eisenhower? (3 examples)
His militant anti-communism appealed to the Old Guard
His internationalism + relative liberalism on domestic policy made him acceptable to moderates
He was relatively young, energetic and a good foil to Eisenhower
How did Eisenhower appeal to conservatives during the 1952 election?
He opposed federal budget deficits, high taxes, government bureaucracy and socialised medicine - citing that ‘A bankrupt America is a defenceless America’
He supported ‘states’ rights’
During the 1952 election, what else did Eisenhower criticise (3 examples) and promise (1 example) which won him votes from most voters?
He criticised:
- Democrat failures at Yalta
- Truman had ‘lost’ China and was soft on communism
- that the policy of Containment was ‘negative, futile and immoral…’
He promised:
- That he’d end the Korean War
What were the three overwhelming statistics for Eisenhower’s success at the 1952 election?
442 Electoral College votes (only 266 normally needed for a majority)
Five southern states (traditionally democratic) swung to the Republicans for the first time in 35 years
Won 55% of the votes
