Eisenhower + The New Look Defense

Monday - April 21, 2025

Between which years does this set focus on? Hint: Eisenhower/Cold War/Civil Rights

1953 - 1960

Who became Russia’s new leader after Stalin died?

Nikita Khrushchev

What was Khrushchev’s personality like?

BIG

In 1955, how did Eisenhower and Khrushchev feel towards one another?

Both leaders shared mutual respect for one another

What was Truman’s Democratic strategy to prevent a potential nuclear WW3?

limited wars (Korean & Vietnam War)

What was Eisenhower’s Republican strategy as an alternative for the Korean War?

The New Look Defense

Eisenhower’s “New Look Defense” required the use of what kind of weapons?

Unconventional & highly destructive

List part 1 & 2 parts of Eisenhower’s “New Look Defense” plan

Atomic & Hydrogren Bombs + Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs),

List parts 3 & 4 of Eisenhower’s “New Look Defense” plan

Build B-47s & B-52s + nuclear submarines

List parts 5 & 6 of Eisenhower’s “New Look Defense” plan

use advanced computers + have covert missions (spies)

What did the CIA do for Eisenhower’s Administration?

The CIA used covert action to interfere with suspected communist governments abroad, like Iran.

In February 1954, what new event was aired on TV?

Hint: Many Americans wondered if this would be used on people and how exactly it would stop communism from spreading into other countries.

The Hydrogen Bomb Test

When was the Hydrogen Bomb Test aired on TV for all Americans to see?

February 1954

By October/November 1956, what happened to Hungary?

It became a satellite communist country

In late October, 1956, what event happened in Hungary that exposed the limits of containment?

The anti-communist uprising

When did Russians literally CRUSH Hungary’s anti-communist uprising?

Late October 1956

What did Eisenhower “Ike” realize after Russia’s response to Hungary’s anti-communist uprising?

He had no options

What did Russia achieve on October 4, 1957?

Sputnik orbited Earth for the first time in human history

When did Russia’s Sputnik officially orbit Earth for the first time in human history?

October 4, 1957

How did Americans feel about Russia achieving space travel before any other country?

some were nervous, others were amazed

What achievement did Americans obtain on January 31, 1958?

The US Explorer went into space

When did the US Explorer go to space?

January 31, 1958

What did Eisenhower let Khrushchev do in September 1959?

Ike gave Khrushchev a 10-day tour of the US

When did Eisenhower give Khrushchev a 10-day tour of the United States?

September 1959

During his tour, Khrushchev was impressed by many simple concepts within the US. What were they and why did these things impress him?

cafeterias & grocery stores (offered choices!)

Two years after his 10-day tour with Khrushchev, Ike planned to do what in January 1961?

He planned to visit Russia & take a tour

What incident prevented “Ike” from touring Russia with Khrushchev?

The U-2 Spy Plane Incident

What was the name of the American spy who was caught spying over Russia and captured?

Gary Powers

When asked if Eisenhower was spying on Russia by Khrushchev over TV, Eisenhower said he hadn’t been spying. How did Khrushchev respond?

He brought Gary Powers on TV and called him out for lying (“This you?”)

Because of Eisenhower’s lies, he never visited Russia. How did this affect the Cold War’s progression?

The Cold War was back on

How many families actually testified in the Brown v Board of Education case?

5

When did Congress declare racial segregation in schools unconstitutional?

May 17, 1954 (3 years after Brown case)

In 1956, both political parties had some voters who felt uneasy about desegregating schools, claiming Congress shouldn’t determine whether or not schools remain segregated. These people believed in a “Southern Manifesto” which meant?

“states rights” gave states the power to determine whether or not their schools were racially segregated

1,000 days after the Brown v Board of Education ruling, what did Eisenhower do?

In September 1957, he made the federal government desegregate schools in Little Rock, Arkansas

What did Eisenhower (The Helicopter President) claim racial segregation in education was?

A legal, not moral issue