Post by djxkorean on Aug 17, 2009 16:15:47 GMT -8
34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953 – 1961)
CYCLOPS(Eisenhower) had MoRe(34) FaMe(53) for his numerous eyes than his colossal SHiT(61)
I. Election and Reelection
A. Election of 1952
1. Republicans: nominated Dwight D. Eisenhower with Senator Richard M. Nixon as V.P.
a. Republicans were a divided party: conservative pushed for Senator Robert A. Taft; liberal pushed for Eisenhower
b. Eisenhower is war hero, promised to go to Korea and get fighting done, and promised housecleaning in Washington
2. Democrats: nominated Governor Adlai Stevenson
a. No candidate had no distinct advantage, since Truman had said he would not run again
b. Platform: supported New Deal-Fair Deal foreign and domestic policies; repeal of Taft-Hartley Labor Law
3. Republicans win the Presidency, but Democrats win the house
B. Reelection of 1956
1. Republicans: renominate Eisenhower and Nixon
2. Democrats: renominate Adlai Stevenson
3. Election exact same as previous one, so not very interesting (same candidates, same messages)
C. Eisenhower has health problems: Congress had not passed legislation to deal when President unable to carry responsibilities of office
II. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
A. Background
1. 14th Amendment was adopted in 1868 – guaranteed all citizens equal rights and equal treatment under law and defined freed slaves as citizens
2. After election of Hayes (1876) and withdrawal of federal troops, Southern whites regained controlled and segregation prevailed
B. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
1. 1/8th black man (Plessy) was fined for riding in white section of a railroad coach; goes to the Supreme Court
2. “separation in places… do not… imply inferiority of either race to the other”
3. includes “separate schools for white and colored children”
4. Established the “separate but equal” doctrine as law
C. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
1. involved suits by citizens from Kansas protesting segregated schools
a. refusal to permit children from attending schools with white children deprived the blacks of equal protection of laws (14th Amendment)
2. Unanimous decision: “separate education facilities are inherently unequal”
a. “segregation depreves of equal protection of the laws guaranteed by 14th Amendment
III. Changing America
A. More suburbs and highways
1. Eisenhower years saw rapid growth of suburban housing
2. Traffic jams caused a demand for roads: Interstate Highway Act (1956) – authorized federal gov’t to pay for most of cost of nat’l road network
a. Construction of transcontinental transport system led for further decline of US railroads
B. Alaska (Jan 3, 1959) and Hawaii (Aug 21, 1959) become 49th and 50th states
C. St. Lawrence Seaway
1. 1954 agreement between US and Canada est. St. Lawrence Seaway Authority
a. construct and maintain deep-water passage between Montreal and Lake Erie
b. Carry large freighters from Atlantic Ocean to Chicago and Great Lakes ports
c. joint hydroelectric power stations will also be built and maintained
2. Became major route for world trade
IV. Foreign Policy
A. French Indochina
1. Background
a. 1953: Communist guerillas (Vietminh) occupied northern part of Vietnam in Indochina
i. threat of collapse of whole of Southeast Asia to Communists (domino effect)
b. US had every interest in preventing spread of Communist influence
2. French put up a fight, but are thrown out when Vietminh capture French fortress at Dien Bien Phu (May 7, 1954)
a. At Geneva Conference, Vietnam split at 17th parallel with Communist at north and south independent
3. To resist further Communist successes Eisenhower and S.o.S. Dulles organized Southeast Asia Treat Organization (SEATO)
a. Formed Nov. 1954: 8 nations combined to meet any threat of armed aggression by united action
b. Alliance was disrupted by Vietnam War and formally dissolved in 1977
B. Taiwan-Quemoy-Matsu
1. Feb 1953: Eisenhower lifted blockade of Taiwan: had prevented any move by Chian Kai-shek against mainland of china
a. released Taiwanese naval forces with Communist china opposite Taiwan
b. China declares they will take Taiwan, but Eisenhower tells them they can only do that if they fight the US Navy
2. Communist China threatened to take Quemoy and Matsu islands (occupied by Nationalist China)
a. Sept. 1954: Eisenhower rejected proposals that direct action be taken against Communist China
b. Dec. 1954: Eisenhower promises that US will come to Nationalist China’s aid if they were attacked (not including Quemoy and Matsu)
3. Uneasy peace was maintained from 1955 to 1958, when Communist China began bombardments of Quemoy and Matsu islands
a. Both Communist China and US careful not to provoke the other into large-scale attack
4. Islands remained Taiwanese
C. Suez Crisis
1. Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt used power-politics maneuvers of Soviet Union and US to advance his position as leader of Arab states
a. Nasser asks both USSR and US to finance building of Aswan Dam
i. Could tremendously improve irrigation and produce vast hydroelectric power; going to be largest dam in the world
b. US and Great Britain and World Bank agree to finance the Aswan Dam, but all withdraw later on
c. Egypt leans more towards Russia, making it obvious that Nasser’s main interest was to reopen war against Israel
2. The Suez Canal: built by French in 1869
a. Up until 1956, British and French troops had controlled the canal area and allowed ships of all nations to use the canal on equal terms
b. When British and French troops left, Nasser nationalizes the dam and closes the canal to Israeli shipping
i. takeover of canal by Nasser = severe blow to Britain, France, and Israel
c. French, British, and Israeli military attack Nasser to take the Suez Canal; US disapproves and Russia threatens to intervene
i. French and England announce a cease-fire and UN forces took over supervision of canal area
3. Results: put strain on Anglo-American relations, gave US stature for opposing aggression, and temporarily strengthened Nasser’s prestige in Middle East
D. Eisenhower Doctrine (1957)
1. Suez crisis = weaker British and French prestige in Middle East + rift in Anglo-American relationships
a. as Western Allies’ position made weaker, Communists’ enhanced
2. Eisenhower Doctrine: economic and financial aid to Middle Eastern nation and American armed forces to resist Communist aggression
3. May 1958: Syria and Egypt stir rebellion in pro-Western Lebanon
a. Eisenhower sends marines who restore order, re-establish authority, and get agreement from offending Arab states to leave Lebanon alone
V. Summit Conference and U-2 Incident
A. Eisenhower arranges meeting with Khrushchev to discuss nuclear testing and disarmament
B. All arrangements completed and summit conference only days away
1. U-2 Incident (May 1, 1960): U-2 high-altitude spy plane shot down over central Russia
2. After first denying that it was a spy plane, US admit that it was an espionage plane on routine picture-taking mission
a. Although first stating that spy planes would continue, Eisenhower stops such flights at opening day of summit conference
C. Krushchev demands an apology and statement condemning violation of Russian territory
1. After Eisenhower refuses both demands, conference breaks up before it begins
Commentary:
CYCLOPS(Eisenhower) had MoRe(34) FaMe(53) for his numerous eyes than his colossal SHiT(61)
I. Election and Reelection
A. Election of 1952
1. Republicans: nominated Dwight D. Eisenhower with Senator Richard M. Nixon as V.P.
a. Republicans were a divided party: conservative pushed for Senator Robert A. Taft; liberal pushed for Eisenhower
b. Eisenhower is war hero, promised to go to Korea and get fighting done, and promised housecleaning in Washington
2. Democrats: nominated Governor Adlai Stevenson
a. No candidate had no distinct advantage, since Truman had said he would not run again
b. Platform: supported New Deal-Fair Deal foreign and domestic policies; repeal of Taft-Hartley Labor Law
3. Republicans win the Presidency, but Democrats win the house
B. Reelection of 1956
1. Republicans: renominate Eisenhower and Nixon
2. Democrats: renominate Adlai Stevenson
3. Election exact same as previous one, so not very interesting (same candidates, same messages)
C. Eisenhower has health problems: Congress had not passed legislation to deal when President unable to carry responsibilities of office
II. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
A. Background
1. 14th Amendment was adopted in 1868 – guaranteed all citizens equal rights and equal treatment under law and defined freed slaves as citizens
2. After election of Hayes (1876) and withdrawal of federal troops, Southern whites regained controlled and segregation prevailed
B. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
1. 1/8th black man (Plessy) was fined for riding in white section of a railroad coach; goes to the Supreme Court
2. “separation in places… do not… imply inferiority of either race to the other”
3. includes “separate schools for white and colored children”
4. Established the “separate but equal” doctrine as law
C. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
1. involved suits by citizens from Kansas protesting segregated schools
a. refusal to permit children from attending schools with white children deprived the blacks of equal protection of laws (14th Amendment)
2. Unanimous decision: “separate education facilities are inherently unequal”
a. “segregation depreves of equal protection of the laws guaranteed by 14th Amendment
III. Changing America
A. More suburbs and highways
1. Eisenhower years saw rapid growth of suburban housing
2. Traffic jams caused a demand for roads: Interstate Highway Act (1956) – authorized federal gov’t to pay for most of cost of nat’l road network
a. Construction of transcontinental transport system led for further decline of US railroads
B. Alaska (Jan 3, 1959) and Hawaii (Aug 21, 1959) become 49th and 50th states
C. St. Lawrence Seaway
1. 1954 agreement between US and Canada est. St. Lawrence Seaway Authority
a. construct and maintain deep-water passage between Montreal and Lake Erie
b. Carry large freighters from Atlantic Ocean to Chicago and Great Lakes ports
c. joint hydroelectric power stations will also be built and maintained
2. Became major route for world trade
IV. Foreign Policy
A. French Indochina
1. Background
a. 1953: Communist guerillas (Vietminh) occupied northern part of Vietnam in Indochina
i. threat of collapse of whole of Southeast Asia to Communists (domino effect)
b. US had every interest in preventing spread of Communist influence
2. French put up a fight, but are thrown out when Vietminh capture French fortress at Dien Bien Phu (May 7, 1954)
a. At Geneva Conference, Vietnam split at 17th parallel with Communist at north and south independent
3. To resist further Communist successes Eisenhower and S.o.S. Dulles organized Southeast Asia Treat Organization (SEATO)
a. Formed Nov. 1954: 8 nations combined to meet any threat of armed aggression by united action
b. Alliance was disrupted by Vietnam War and formally dissolved in 1977
B. Taiwan-Quemoy-Matsu
1. Feb 1953: Eisenhower lifted blockade of Taiwan: had prevented any move by Chian Kai-shek against mainland of china
a. released Taiwanese naval forces with Communist china opposite Taiwan
b. China declares they will take Taiwan, but Eisenhower tells them they can only do that if they fight the US Navy
2. Communist China threatened to take Quemoy and Matsu islands (occupied by Nationalist China)
a. Sept. 1954: Eisenhower rejected proposals that direct action be taken against Communist China
b. Dec. 1954: Eisenhower promises that US will come to Nationalist China’s aid if they were attacked (not including Quemoy and Matsu)
3. Uneasy peace was maintained from 1955 to 1958, when Communist China began bombardments of Quemoy and Matsu islands
a. Both Communist China and US careful not to provoke the other into large-scale attack
4. Islands remained Taiwanese
C. Suez Crisis
1. Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt used power-politics maneuvers of Soviet Union and US to advance his position as leader of Arab states
a. Nasser asks both USSR and US to finance building of Aswan Dam
i. Could tremendously improve irrigation and produce vast hydroelectric power; going to be largest dam in the world
b. US and Great Britain and World Bank agree to finance the Aswan Dam, but all withdraw later on
c. Egypt leans more towards Russia, making it obvious that Nasser’s main interest was to reopen war against Israel
2. The Suez Canal: built by French in 1869
a. Up until 1956, British and French troops had controlled the canal area and allowed ships of all nations to use the canal on equal terms
b. When British and French troops left, Nasser nationalizes the dam and closes the canal to Israeli shipping
i. takeover of canal by Nasser = severe blow to Britain, France, and Israel
c. French, British, and Israeli military attack Nasser to take the Suez Canal; US disapproves and Russia threatens to intervene
i. French and England announce a cease-fire and UN forces took over supervision of canal area
3. Results: put strain on Anglo-American relations, gave US stature for opposing aggression, and temporarily strengthened Nasser’s prestige in Middle East
D. Eisenhower Doctrine (1957)
1. Suez crisis = weaker British and French prestige in Middle East + rift in Anglo-American relationships
a. as Western Allies’ position made weaker, Communists’ enhanced
2. Eisenhower Doctrine: economic and financial aid to Middle Eastern nation and American armed forces to resist Communist aggression
3. May 1958: Syria and Egypt stir rebellion in pro-Western Lebanon
a. Eisenhower sends marines who restore order, re-establish authority, and get agreement from offending Arab states to leave Lebanon alone
V. Summit Conference and U-2 Incident
A. Eisenhower arranges meeting with Khrushchev to discuss nuclear testing and disarmament
B. All arrangements completed and summit conference only days away
1. U-2 Incident (May 1, 1960): U-2 high-altitude spy plane shot down over central Russia
2. After first denying that it was a spy plane, US admit that it was an espionage plane on routine picture-taking mission
a. Although first stating that spy planes would continue, Eisenhower stops such flights at opening day of summit conference
C. Krushchev demands an apology and statement condemning violation of Russian territory
1. After Eisenhower refuses both demands, conference breaks up before it begins
Commentary: