Cold War Foreign Policy: Eisenhower and Containment

Introduction

• Focus on foreign policy aspects of the Cold War.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower, second Cold War President.
• Exploration of Eisenhower's take on containment policy.

Containment Policy

• Originated with the Truman Doctrine.
• Goal: Stop the spread of Communism globally.
• Successive presidents endorsed containment but had different strategies.

Eisenhower Doctrine

• Named after President Eisenhower, similar to other doctrines like Nixon and Reagan.
• Eisenhower's friendly grandfather image masked his strong military leadership.
• Commanded Allied forces during World War II.

Nuclear Arms Build-up

• Eisenhower's term: 1952-1960.
• Largest expansion of U.S. nuclear arsenal from ~1,000 to 27,000 warheads.
• Evolution from A-bombs to hydrogen bombs and ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles).

Massive Retaliation Theory

• Central to Eisenhower Doctrine.
• Strategy: Deter Soviet aggression with the threat of overwhelming nuclear retaliation.
• Peace through strength.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

• Theory that nuclear war would result in mutual destruction, preventing its use.

Brinkmanship

• Championed by Secretary of State John Dulles.
• Policy of pushing opponents to the brink of war to force concessions.
• Analogous to the game of "chicken."

Domestic Impact of the Cold War

• Rising nuclear threat influenced American society.
• Soviet advancements in the space race (Sputnik, cosmonauts) heightened fears.
• Duck and cover drills in schools as a precautionary measure.
• Construction of backyard bomb shelters.

Parallels to Modern Times

• Ongoing domestic and foreign threats, such as terrorism.
• Comparison to modern-day school drills and security measures.

Conclusion

• The Cold War affected both international relations and domestic life in America.
• Different presidential doctrines reflected changes in policy and threat perception.