Detailed Eisenhower notes

Question 1

What was the significance of Truman’s address to the NAACP in 1947.

Answer 1

He was the first POTUS to do so.

Question 2

When did Truman address the NAACP

Answer 2

1947

Question 3

What was the journey of Reconciliation?

Answer 3

The journey of reconciliation was a two week freedom ride in 1947 testing Morgan vs Virginia which desegregated interstate buses.

Question 4

What was Morgan vs Virginia and when was it?

Answer 4

It was the 1947 Supreme Court ruling that desegregated interstate bus travel.

Question 5

What happened in the 1946 midterm elections and what was the impact of this?

Answer 5

The republicans took control of both the house and senate. This allowed them (with the support of some democrats) to override Truman’s veto and pass the Taft-Hartley act in 1947

Question 6

What was the Taft-Hartley act

Answer 6

It was a bill passed in 1947 that added restrictions to union actions and designated new, union-specific, unfair labour practice.

Question 7

Why did Eisenhower win the 1952 election? Give 4 bullet points

Answer 7

Eisenhower’s personal popularity and war hero status, Unpopularity of Truman and the Korean War, Strong anti-communist stance, Effective campaign and use of the “I Like Ike” slogan

Question 8

What was Eisenhower’s new look defence policy?

Answer 8

Focused on nuclear weapons and covert operations rather than conventional forces to reduce costs, massive retaliation to deter Soviet aggression (Brinkmanship)
Aimed to contain communism while avoiding expensive wars like Korea, Reduced defence spending and balanced the federal budget

Question 9

Give two phrases that Eisenhower used to summarise his ‘New Look’ policy?

Answer 9

1. Getting more ‘bang for the buck’
2. ‘Security with solvency’

Question 10

How much money did the New Look policy save? What was the change in the size of the army.

Answer 10

It cut defence spending about 30% from 50 billion to 35 billion dollars.
The army reduced in size from 3.5 million men to 2.5 million.

Question 11

Why did the New Look policy also focus on covert operations?

Answer 11

Covert operations allowed the US to contain communism and maintain allies, at low cost and avoiding full scale US involvement.

Question 12

Give three examples of American covert operations in Eisenhower’s foreign policy and their dates.

Answer 12

America fomented a coup in Iran in 1953. It also overthrew the President of Guatemala in 1954. Finally, Eisenhower endorsed the Bay of Pigs plan in 1959 after the Cuban revolution

Question 13

Summarise the reasons for American involvement in Iran in 1953.

Answer 13

PM Mossadegh, seized British owned Oil assets in 1951 - sparking fears that Iran might turn communist. British and American oil companies then lobbied Eisenhower to intervene.

Question 14

Describe Eisenhower’s Rollback policy and give 2 examples of both successes and failures of it.

Answer 14

Rollback aimed to actively push back communism and reduce Soviet influence, rather than contain it. Under Eisenhower, it mainly occurred through covert action and pressure, not direct war. It succeeded in Iran (53), Guatemala (54) and failed in Korea (53) and Hungary (54)

Question 15

Summarise American actions in Iran in 1953.

Answer 15

The CIA fomented a coup, removing Mossadegh from power and replacing him with a pro-American shah, who gave U.S companies 40% of Iranian oil.

Question 16

When and what was the Suez crisis? How did America respond?

Answer 16

The Suez Crisis of 1956 started when Nasser, nationalised the Suez Canal. Britain and France supported an Israeli invasion of Egypt (seizing Sinai), and moved into secure the canal. Eisenhower wanted to retain good relations with the muslim world and disliked imperialism. He forced British withdrawal by threatening to sell US sterling reserves.

Question 17

Why did Eisenhower authorise American military involvement in Lebanon in 1958? What form did this take?

Answer 17

The Lebanese government was struggling to maintain stability and requested American military support - Ike felt obliged to provide this under the Eisenhower doctrine. As such, Ike deployed American troops (~10,000) for around a month. This was sufficient to stabilise the situation.

Question 18

What commitments did the Eisenhower doctrine make? When was it first explained?

Answer 18

It committed the United States to cooperate with any nation in Middle East in development of economic strength/ programs of military assistance with any nation
that request help for maintenance of national independence

Question 19

What were the two biggest failures of Ike’s foreign policy.

Answer 19

1. His failure to rollback communism in Hungary in 1956.
2. His failure to prevent the rise of a Communist Cuba in 1959.

Question 20

What actions did Eisenhower take to protect Taiwan?

Answer 20

America threatened to intervene over Chinese agression towards small taiwanese islands (Kinmen, Quemoy and Matsu). He signed the Formosa resolution in 1955 - which gave the executive the authority to use force to defend Formosa (Taiwan)

Question 21

How much money did America spend on propping up South Vietnam by 1957?

Answer 21

7 billion dollars.

Question 22

What was Eisenhower’s approach to Joseph McCarthy?

Answer 22

Ike refused to challenge McCarthy (perhaps influenced by the fact that 64% of Republicans supported him). Eisenhower was able to wait until McCarthy’s extremism lost him public support.

Question 23

How did Eisenhower block Joseph McCarthy?

Answer 23

In 1954 McCarthy led a congresional investigation into subversives on us army bases. Ike denied McCarthy access to administration and personnel.

Question 24

How did the blocking of McCarthy’s subpoena powers cause his downfall?

Answer 24

The hearings seemed meaningless as there was no evidence. McCarthy was reduced to bullying bluster that alienated audiences. He appeared drunk in a hearing. He was censored by the senate in March 1955.

Question 25

How did Ike describe dynamic conservatism?

Answer 25

“Conservative when it comes to money, liberal when it comes to human beings.”

Question 26

How did Ike's policy of being 'conservative with money' manifest itself?

Answer 26

It primarily focused on cutting military expenditure - which fell 30% during his presidency, with troop numbers falling from 3.5 to 2.5 million.

Question 27

How did Ike's policy of being 'liberal when it comes to people' manifest itself?

Answer 27

He increased Social Security benefits and added 10 million people to its coverage in 1954. He raised the min wage from 0.75 to 1 dollar in 55. He also gave federal aid to education.

Question 28

What action did Eisenhower take on Health, Education and Welfare?

Answer 28

He founded HEW (dep of Health, edu and welfare) in 1953 to consolidate departments.

Question 29

By what percentage did the GNP of the US grow from 1950-60?

Answer 29

It grew by 37.5%

Question 30

What did Eisenhower promise to do about Korea in the 52 election?

Answer 30

He promised to personally visit Korea and to then end the war.

Question 31

Which states did Eisenhower win for the second time as a Republican since reconstruction?

Answer 31

Florida, Virginia, Texas

Question 32

What was the Brown vs Board case of 1954?

Answer 32

The case was between the Board of education and a black student. With funding from the NAACP, the case went to the Supreme Court. In 1954, the court ruled that segregation of education was unconstitutional as separate could never be equal in this case.

Question 33

What was the Brown vs Board II ruling and when was it?

Answer 33

The Brown II ruling in 1955, ruled that integration of the school sector should ‘be accomplished with all deliberate speed’.

Question 34

Give an example of Eisenhower's public mention of civil rights.

Answer 34

Eisenhower, in his first state of the union address (Feb 1953), called for a combination of publicity persuasion and conscience to help end racial discrimination.

Question 35

Give a quotation from Eisenhower that shows his personally racist views.

Answer 35

[his public calls for equality of opportunity did not mean that black and white people had] ‘to mingle socially - or that a Negro could court my daughter.’

Question 36

What was Eisenhower’s response to the death of Emmett Till in 1955?

Answer 36

He did nothing

Question 37

When was the death of Emmett Till?

Answer 37

1955

Question 38

What was Cooper vs Aaron and when was it?

Answer 38

Cooper vs Aaron was the Supreme Court ruling in 1958 that any law to segregate schools is unconstitutional

Question 39

Give two examples of the success of mass direct action under the Eisenhower administration .

Answer 39

The Montgomery bus boycott in 1956 - which successfully The campaign of sit ins in lunch counters in 1960 forced Woolworths to desegregate lunch counters.

Question 40

When did Martin Luther King establish his Southern Christian Leadership Conference?

Answer 40

1957

Question 41

When was SNCC founded?

Answer 41

April 1960

Question 42

When did Eisenhower take action on civil rights?

Answer 42

In 1957, he sent federal forces to protect the ‘Little Rock Nine’. In 1956, in order to attract the black vote, Eisenhower drew up a civil rights bill that aimed to ensure black voting rights.

Question 43

What percentage of Americans supported McCarthy in 1954? What percentage of Republicans

Answer 43

50% of Americans actively supported him and 64% of Republicans

Question 44

When did Eisenhower act on the Little Rock 9? Why did he do so?

Answer 44

In September 1957, Eisenhower intervened in the Little Rock Crisis. He federalised the Arkansas National Guard after Governor Faubus used it to block desegregation. Federal troops protected the Little Rock Nine.