Alliances and shifts

FRG and NATO; the Warsaw Pact; SEATO; Eisenhower, Dulles and 'brinkmanship'; the domino theory; attitude to French struggle in Indo-China; the Geneva Conference

When was Eisenhower elected?

Jan 1953- Jan 61

Eisenhower’s main advisors

John Foster Dulles - Secretary of State

Allen Dulles - Director of CIA

Eisenhower’s campaign strategy

K¹C²

took advantage of McCarthyism

extent of US - USSR nuclear imbalance

by Oct 1962, USA had 8 nuclear weapons for every 1 Soviet weapon

Factors which shaped Eisenhower’s New Look policy

* Red Scare
* the need to get tough
* massive retaliation would deter Soviet expansionism
* the need to get value for money
* attempt to make battle against communism more affordable and effective
* the need to build alliances with Cold War partners

SEATO, Sept 1954

following Ho Chi Minh’s victory over France, to contain communist powers and protect former French territories

* Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, France, UK, USA

CENTO, Feb 1955

to contain USSR by having line of strong states along USSR’s south-western frontier

* Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, UK

Key features of New Look policy

* massive retaliation
* implied use of nuclear action against any aggressive move by Communist bloc
* brinkmanship (NSC-162/2)
* increased use of covert operations
* ‘more bang for your buck’
* rollback

1st Taiwan Straits Crisis, Sept 1954 - May 1955

* Mao started attacking small islands of coast of Taiwan
* after Dulles publicly stated USA was considering using nuclear weapons to stop Mao, the PRC stopped its shelling of the islands#

**= brinkmanship in action**

2nd Taiwan Straits Crisis, Aug-Oct 1958

* Mao started shelling Quemoy and Matsu again
* Eisenhower and Dulles place US military on full alert and dispatched additional nuclear equipped forces to the region
* Mao stopped shelling following this show if overwhelming force

**= brinkmanship in action**

When was CIA formed and what was their purpose?

formed by Truman in Sept 1947

* ensures US national security and was expanded under **Eisenhower to ensure they could play significant role in combating communism globally**

When did FRG join NATO?

May 1955

= led USSR to immediately recognise sovereignty of GDR and create Warsaw Pact

Warsaw Pact, May 1955

in attempt to further consolidate relations between USSR and satellite states following FRG admittance into NATO

legitimised USSR influence in eastern Europe

* Czechoslovakia, USSR, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, E Germany, Poland, Hungary

NSC 162/2, Oct 1953

emphasised idea that most effective way to deter aggression against Western Europe was for USA to forcefully display its nuclear superiority and determination to use them against any aggressor

CIA interventions

* Congo
* urged elimination of Lumumba, left wing revolutionary
* Guatemala
* CIA coup to remove left wing govt
* Iran
* CIA planned and executed overthrow of Mossadegh and imposition of the Shah

Dien Bien Phu, Mar-May 1954

decisive Vietnamese victory led Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh against the French

**= turning point, paved way for French withdrawal and divided Vietnam**

Geneva Conference, July 1954

* Vietnam to divided along 17th parallel
* Laos and Cambodia to be independent
* Democratic elections for united Vietnam scheduled for July 1956

= doomed to fail and was undermined by cold war tensions and distrust, **US refused to ratify in fear of domino effect**

Why did USA not support Geneva Accords, 1954?

* not convinced democratic elections would take place
* losing Vietnam after China would be political suicide
* strategy of rollback

Why couldn’t USA pursue rollback in Vietnam?

could never pursue rollback in the north as it borders PRC