A brief examination of foreign policy and domestic affairs during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Dwight D. Eisenhower came to the presidency from a military background, rather than from the usual political career. During World War Two he held the position of Supreme Commander of the allied forces in Europe, and also had the honour of being the first military commander of NATO. Whilst these positions had gained him massive popular support, he had little experience of legislative procedures. However his organisation and military precision would serve him well during his time in the Oval Office.
As is to be expected for a former military commander, Eisenhower’s main focus was always foreign policy. As a Cold War President, he had to deal with ever worsening relations with the Soviet Union. The ‘space race’ had begun. The launching of Sputnik by the USSR created unrest at home. The myth of a ‘missile gap’ between the two nations also spread, a concept which greatly disturbed the American public. Eisenhower failed to correct this belief, a move which, it can be argued, led to the events under Kennedy which culminated in the Cuban Missile Crisis. However, Eisenhower is responsible for the creation of NASA, a project which ensured that space research projects did not suffer through lack of available funds in the military.
Whilst Eisenhower worked tirelessly to end the arms race and improve relations with the Soviet Union, his authorisation of use of the U2 spy plane had completely the opposite effect. The shooting down of such a plane in 1960 enraged Khruschev and worsened the atmosphere between the two.
The situation in Asia was a primary concern for Eisenhower, and he was heavily involved in the creation of SEATO, which was planned as an Asian version of NATO. This organisation never really served as an effective means of securing the region, as its members were usually unable to agree on courses of action. Nevertheless it was an innovative approach to the problem.
In domestic policy, Eisenhower followed an inoffensive path known as the Middle Way. Whilst not personally interested in the civil rights issue, he made important steps in the desegregation of schools. He was also fanatical about balanced budgets; a trait which probably stemmed from his military days.
Eisenhower was an enormously popular president, but during his time in office he gave the impression that he was often not directly involved in controversial decisions. The declassification of various documents in the 1980s proved this not to be the case. This ‘hidden-hand’ style presidency allowed him to retain his nice-guy image and avoid blame for unpopular decisions. However in today’s media age it would be nearly impossible to recreate.
