Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
McCarthyism wikipedia , lookup
Cold War (1947–1953) wikipedia , lookup
Containment wikipedia , lookup
Domino theory wikipedia , lookup
Cold War (1962–1979) wikipedia , lookup
Single Integrated Operational Plan wikipedia , lookup
1960 U-2 incident wikipedia , lookup
Sarah La Mr. Gradziel US History AP 3-17-12 Cold War Timed DBQ When there is a conflict going on between two countries, people are fearful of what effect that conflict will have on their own country. The Cold War, for example was a period of global tension between the United States and the Soviet Union from the 1940s to the 1990s. The President of America during the Cold War was Dwight D. Eisenhower, who he and his administration were able to address the fears of the American people successfully. Some of the fears they addressed include the fear of communism in America, the use of atomic warfare, and the launch of the sputnik. The fear of Communism in America was one of the many issues the administration of Eisenhower addressed successfully. At a March 1954 press conference Eisenhower held, he stated that there was too much hysteria going on in the world that caused the Americans to fear many things. These fears the Americans experienced worsen because of some unwise investigators (Doc A). These unwise investigators included the notorious Wisconsin senator, Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy was known for accusing many people being a communist. His accusations damaged the careers and reputations of countless officials, writers, and actors, leading on to the Communist hysteria in America. McCarthy finally went over the boundary too far when he attacked the U.S. Army, in which the Senate condemned him for “conduct unbecoming a member”, causing his popularity to swindle. The people of America were finally at ease once McCarthy was out of the picture. The fear of Communism in America was definitely an issue the Eisenhower administration handled successfully. The fear that the Soviets use atomic warfare was an issue that the Eisenhower Administration addressed successfully. In June 1954, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles addressed the atomic warfare issues by suggesting the policy of massive retaliation as the solution (Doc B). Massive retaliation was the building up of American forces in the sky to scare the enemy, in this case, that would be the Soviets. America created the Strategic Air Command, which was an air fleet of super bombers equipped with city-flattening nuclear bombs. American can use these weapons against the Soviets, that is, if they ever got out of hand. The use of these fearsome weapons would inflict massive retaliation on the enemy. The fear that the Soviets used atomic warfare was an issue the Eisenhower administration was able to handle successfully. The Sputnik was one of the many things that contributed to the fears of the American people and something that the Eisenhower administration addressed successfully. The Sputnik was the first satellite launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. The launched of the Sputnik stunned the world, especially, American since it rattled American self-confidence. The Americans realized that if the Soviets were able to launch heavy objects into outer space, then they could certainly reach American with intercontinental ballistic missiles (Doc E). This realization made Americans fear for their safely, so they purchased bomb shelters, which were civil defense structures designed to provide protection against the effects of a bomb (Doc C). Since Rocket fever was sweeping across the entire nation of America, the Eisenhower administration responded by establishing the national Aeronautics and Space Administration, known as NASA that directed billions of dollars to missile development. The Creation of NASA was successful because by the end of the decade, America had launched several satellites and successfully tested its own ICBMs. Another effect the launch of the Sputnik had on the Americans was that it led to a critical comparison of the American education system to that of the Soviet’s. The Eisenhower Administration realized how important it was for America to maintain its position of leadership, and see its young people be prepared to contribute to the maximum of America’s future progress, so they created the National Defense and Education Act. The act authorized $887 million in loans to America college students and in grants for the improvement of teaching the sciences and languages (Doc G). Although the Sputnik casted many fears onto the American people, the Eisenhower Administration successfully handled the problem. President Eisenhower and his administration successfully handled the Cold War fears of the American people. Some of the fears they addressed successfully included the fear of communism in America, the use of atomic warfare, and the launch of the sputnik. When there is a conflict going on between two countries, people are fearful of what effect that conflict will have on their own country, which was exactly what happened to America.