1. The 1950s is sometimes known as the "age of anxiety". What were the major sources of anxiety and conflict that stirred beneath the surface of the time?
Some major sources of anxiety included the fear of the atomic bomb or any bomb in general being dropped in America. America also had a large fear of communism since countries like North Korea and China were being taken over and converted to communism. The Cold War was also a constant threat to Americans as well as the Nuclear Arms race. When the Soviets put a dog in space we knew that they could also deliver a nuclear weapon to the U.S. using intercontinental ballistic missiles. McCarthyism is also a source of anxiety since McCarthy is so charismatic and is accusing a lot of people of being communists. We see the formation of the House of Un-American Activities. Politicians were being accused, like George Marshall. U2 Incident where our spy plane was shot down by the soviets since we spied on them and they got our technology. Americans had to be told.
2. How did Eisenhower balance assertiveness and restraint in his foreign policies in Vietnam, Europe, and the Middle East?
Brinkmanship created by John Foster Dulles is a key in Eisenhower's foreign policy. we have to liberate any country that is under communist pressures. We have to show some restraint.
Eisenhower wanted to ease the tension with Stalin's successor Nikita Khrushchev but he was blocked out.
At Dienbienphu in 1954 France was surrounded and lost so they simply left Southeast Asia which created a void allowing communism to grow there. This battle marks the real beginning of America's interest in Vietnam.
Ike also asked at the peace conference for a reduction of arms Khrushchev was receptive and also publicly denounced the atrocities of Stalin. When the soviets rolled tanks into the Hungary rebellion and crushed them while they protested communists, the US gave no aid which showed the Cold War would continue.
Eisenhower sent military aid to Korea.
The US worried Russia would invade the Middle East for its oil so the CIA pulled off a coup in Iran and placed Mohammed Reza Pahlevi in charge as a dictator. It was successful for the time but it came back to get America.
In Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nassar wanted to build a dam on the Nile so America and Britain offered some help, but then Nasser began to flirt with communism. Sec. Dulles removed the US offer and Nassar took over the Suez canal so they could make money for the Nile, which threated the oil supply to the West. Britain and France attacked Egypt without our knowledge so Eisenhower wouldn't supply oil to Britain and France so they had to withdraw. In 1940 the US produced 2/3 of the worlds oil but by 1948 the US was a net importer of oil. Ike and Congress also declared the Eisenhower Doctrine which promised to help the Middle-east if it was threatened by communism .The real threat in the middle-east was the oil. Deterrence!
3. In what ways was the Eisenhower era a time of caution and conservatism and in what ways was it a time of dynamic economic, social, cultural change?
This era marked a huge fear of an attack by nuclear/atom bombs as well as communism. Eisenhower attempted to be more liberal towards the people and more conservative with money.Social changes included a change in education from music, arts, etc to mathematics and science.The National defense and Education Act provided millions of dollars in college loans to teach science and languages. Ike didn't embrace the infant civil rights movement.
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