Transcript The Cold War Expands

Chapter 21, Section 3

When American planes detected radiation above
the Soviet Union, they realized they were no
longer the only country with atomic weaponry.
 Truman responded to this threat by calling for the
development of a hydrogen bomb. Its development
began an arms race between the two countries.

It was hoped by both countries that the threat of
mutually assured destruction would deter each
side from using their atomic weapons.

When Dwight D. Eisenhower took over after
Truman, he understood both the military and
political aspects of war.
 Eisenhower and his secretary of state, John Foster
Dulles, favored a new form of foreign policy.
 This idea would become known as massive
retaliation, in which the United States promised
to respond to Communist threats with full force.
▪ Dulles’ policy of going to the “brink of war” to
protect allies was known as brinkmanship.

Upon Joseph
Stalin’s death,
Nikita Krushchev
emerged as the
leader of the
Soviet Union.

The “peaceful co-existence” talks between
Krushchev and Eisenhower encouraged some
of the countries behind the ‘iron curtain’ to
gain their independence.
 Two uprisings took place—one in Poland,
one in Hungary.
▪ Hungarian students led an uprising
against communism. Krushchev sent
numerous troops to execute the leaders.
▪ This violated what?

When Gamal Nasser nationalized the
Suez Canal, taking it under Egyptian
control, both Britain and France were
upset.
 As Israel invaded in 1956, Eisenhower
refused to support his Western allies.
Counting on U.S. support, Britain and
France withdrew their troops. This ended
the Suez Crisis.

The Eisenhower Doctrine stated that the
U.S. would use force to help any Middle
Eastern nation threatened by communism.
 The Central Intelligence Agency was
formed to be an intelligence-gathering
agency. They exerted influence in Iran
and Guatemala in the 1950s. This created
long-term resentment of the U.S.
 The launch of the Soviet satellite, Sputnik,
set off a ‘space race’ between the Soviet
Union and the U.S. The two responses by the
federal government were:
▪ More money devoted to science and math
education through the National Defense
Education Act;
▪ Creation of NASA– National Aeronautics
and Space Administration.
 How did the United States’
influence expand around the
world under Eisenhower?