Eisenhower Era

Eisenhower Elected President (1953)

Former 5-star general and commander of NATO becomes the 34th President. John Foster Dulles as Secretary of State, Allen Dulles as CIA head, Nixon as VP.

Korean Armistice Agreement (1953)

Ended the Korean War; created the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea. Eisenhower threatened to use nuclear weapons against China if negotiations failed.

John Foster Dulles (1953)

Secretary of State under Eisenhower during his entire term; advocated an aggressive stance against the Soviet Union.

Allen Foster Dulles (1953)

Director of the CIA; brother of John Foster Dulles. Oversaw the Iranian coup and the U-2 spy plane program.

Iranian Coup / Overthrow of Mossadegh (1953)

US and Britain support Shah Pahlavi's coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. First covert US act to overthrow a foreign leader.

Massive Retaliation / "New Look" (1953–1954)

Eisenhower's strategy to move away from expensive land forces toward cheap nuclear weapons. If attacked, the US would respond with overwhelming force including nuclear weapons (Mutually Assured Destruction).

Dien Bien Phu (1954)

Battle ending French rule in Indochina. French forces surrendered to the Viet Minh, triggering subsequent treaties.

Geneva Accords (1954)

Settled issues from the First Indochina War; removed French troops from Vietnam; established ceasefire; divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel with Ho Chi Minh in the North and US-backed forces in the South.

17th Parallel (1954)

Established by the Geneva Accords; divides North and South Vietnam.

Nasser Becomes President of Egypt (1954)

Nasser led the overthrow of Egypt's monarchy and later nationalized the Suez Canal.

Guatemalan Coup (1954)

US-approved military overthrow of left-wing President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman; replaced with dictator Carlos Castillo Armas.

SEATO Founded (1954)

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization; formed to stop communism from taking hold in Southeast Asia.

Manila Conference (1954)

Resulted in the creation of SEATO.

Ngo Dinh Diem Becomes Leader of South Vietnam (1955)

Nationalist leader who controlled South Vietnam and fought against the Viet Cong for years after gaining power.

Geneva Conference / "Big Four" Meeting (1955)

First meeting between the major powers since WWII; ended the First Indochina War but effectively set up the conditions leading to the Vietnam War.

Vietnam War Begins (1955)

War between North and South Vietnam, intensified by US-Soviet Cold War rivalry.

Warsaw Pact Formalized (1955)

Soviet defense pact that put them on equal footing with NATO; signing became a symbol of Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe.

First Soviet H-Bomb (1955)

Soviet Union tests its first hydrogen bomb.

Suez Crisis (1956)

Britain, France, and Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula after Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. Eisenhower forced them to withdraw; ultimately returned Suez Canal control to Egypt. Established US and USSR as the two world superpowers.

Hungarian Revolution (1956)

Revolution against the Hungarian People's Republic, crushed by Soviet invasion. Revolutionary leader Imre Nagy was killed; resulted in more Soviet control.

Interstate Highway System (1956)

Built starting in 1956 to evacuate cities and transport military supplies.

Eisenhower Doctrine (1957)

US would use armed force upon request to defend against imminent or actual Communist aggression, especially in the Middle East.

Treaty of Rome (1957)

Proposed a single common market for goods, services, and capital across EEC (European Economic Community) member states.

Sputnik Launch (1957)

Soviets launch first space satellite, beginning the Space Race.

Common Market / EEC (1958)

European Economic Community allows freedom of movement of goods, people, capital, and services.

United Arab Republic (1958)

Established to prevent the divide between Syria and other nations.

US Military Intervention in Lebanon (1958)

US intervenes militarily in Lebanon.

Khrushchev Becomes Leader of USSR (1953)

Nikita Khrushchev becomes Soviet leader after Stalin dies; cancels 1960 summit with Eisenhower after the U-2 incident.

Castro Comes to Power in Cuba (1959)

Fidel Castro takes control of Cuba.

Nuclear Triad (1960)

US nuclear strategy consisting of ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles), SLBMs (Submarine Launch Ballistic Missiles), and B-52 Bombers to prevent an enemy from destroying all nuclear capabilities in one strike.

U-2 Spy Plane Shot Down (1960)

American U-2 spy plane shot down over the USSR; pilot Francis Gary Powers captured. Eisenhower forced to admit years of spying. Khrushchev cancels summit. Powers was later exchanged for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in 1962.

Building of the Aswan Dam (1960)

Gave Egypt control over Nile flooding.

Act of Bogotá (1960)

Made social reform a prior condition for US economic aid.

US Suspends Sugar Quota / Embargo on Cuba (1960)

US suspends Cuba's sugar quota; USSR agrees to buy Cuban sugar and provide oil; US imposes trade embargo on Cuba.

ICBM

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile; key weapon in the idea of Massive Retaliation.

Red Scare (Eisenhower Era)

US fear of Communist takeover, primarily fueled by Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s.