Chapter 18 Section 4

Two Nations Live on the Edge

Race for the H-Bomb

• Atomic Bomb Splits Atoms

• Scientists suspected that it would be possible to build a bomb which fuses atoms-a hydrogen bomb

• Estimated to be 67 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima

Race for the H-Bomb

• Many questioned the morality of creating such a weapon

• Oppenheimer opposed this project

• However, now that the Soviets had an atomic bomb, the US had no advantage

Race for the H-Bomb

• Politicians and the military pressed for a more powerful weapon

• According to them, we had to develop one before the Soviets did

• Truman authorizes work on the H-Bomb

Race for the H-Bomb

• 11/1/52- US explodes the 1st H-Bomb

• 10 times more powerful than they thought it would be

• American advantage lasted less than a year

• Soviets exploded their own in August 1953

Brinkmanship

• Dwight Eisenhower now President

• Secretary of state-John Foster Dulles-staunch anti-communist– Not willing to make any

compromises with communism

Brinkmanship

• Dulles proposed a new policy – the US would keep peace by promising to use all its force – including nuclear weapons- against an aggressor nation

• This policy was known as brinkmanship

Brinkmanship

• This policy placed more importance on nuclear weapons – and the planes that delivered them

• So, US trimmed the army and navy, but beefed up the size of the air force

• Produced massive numbers of nuclear weapons

Brinkmanship

• Arms race begins• Soviets respond by building

more of their own nuclear weapons

• Americans convinced that Soviet bombs were pointed at American cities– Kids did air raid drills– Families built bomb shelters– Fear of nuclear war became a

constant fear

Cold War Spreads Around the World

• National defense now dependent on nuclear arms

• Eisenhower relies more heavily on Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for information

Cold War Spreads Around the World

• CIA used spies to gather information–Carried out covert actions–Secret operations• In attempts to overthrow governmets unfriendly to the US

Covert Actions• Eisenhower equated Soviet

leadership to totalitarian dictatorship of WWII

• Soviet leadership was ordering secret operations against its enemies

• Eisenhower felt the US was at a disadvantage & should carry out covert actions

Covert Actions – Middle East

• 1951 Iran- Prime Minister placed oil industry under govmt control

• To protest, western nations stopped buying Iranian Oil

• As Iranian govmt struggled-US feared Iran would turn to Soviet Union

Covert Actions – Middle East

• 1953-CIA urged Shah(King) of Iran to replace Iranian PM with someone pro-western

• Iranian people remained loyal to the Shah

• PM fled

Covert Actions – Guatemala

• 1954- Eisenhower believed Guatemala had communist sympathies– Gave over 200,000 acres

of American owned land to peasants

Covert Actions – Guatemala

• In response CIA trained army

• Invaded Guatemala• Captured nation’s

leader (Guzman) and his forces

• CIA trained army’s leader became new dictator of the nation

A Summit in Geneva

• US/Soviet relations seemed to improve after the death of Stalin in 1953– Soviets recognize West

Germany– Conclude peace treaties

with Austria and Japan

A Summit in Geneva

• However…• Soviets grew fearful when W. Germany re-armed and

joined NATO• Formed its own military alliance-Warsaw Pact-w/

Eastern European satellite nations

A Summit in Geneva

• July 1955-Eisenhower traveled to Geneva, Switzerland– To meet w/ Soviet

leaders in the 1st East-West summit conference since WWII

A Summit in Geneva

• Eisenhower proposed an “open skies” policy

• US& Soviet Union would allow flight over each other’s territory– To guard against a

surprise nuclear attack• Rejected by Soviets-

thought it was a trick to find Soviet nuclear weapons

A Summit in Geneva

• Summit accomplished nothing specific

• But it seemed to promise a movement toward peace

Crisis in the Middle East

• Cold War affected the Middle east as well as Europe

• 1955 US & Britain agree to finance a dam in Egypt at Aswan, along the Nile River

Crisis in the Middle East

• Gamal Nasser, head of Egypt, began to strengthen his ties with communist nations

• US & Britain withdrew offer to build the dam

• Angry Nasser seized the Suez Canal– Which was owned by

Britain and France

Crisis in the Middle East

• British & French angry• Israel also angry at

Egypt-which had been making terrorist raids into Israel

• Britain, France & Israel invade Egypt- October 1956

Crisis in the Middle East

• Soviets threaten to launch missiles against Britain and France

• US warns-it would not tolerate such action

• UN imposed a cease fire• Canal reopened in

1957-under Egyptian management

Soviet Aggression in Hungary

• Nikita Khrushchev new leader of Soviet Union

• Openly criticized Stalin in Feb of 1956– Said Stalin committed

crimes against the Soviet people

Soviet Aggression in Hungary

• People wondered if Khrushchev was going to be less repressive

• Eastern European nations began to dream of breaking free of Soviet control

Soviet Aggression in Hungary

• Hungary was an example• Leaders were debating

about how much freedom to grant Hungary

• Hungary had attempted to either remove Soviets or to reform the government

• Khrushchev allowed for a reform minded premier to take control of Hungary

Soviet Aggression in Hungary

• Hungary wanted out of the Warsaw Pact

• Soviets respond brutally• Soviet tanks roll in and

kill 30,000 Hungarians• Thousands fled to the

US

Soviet Aggression in Hungary

• Eisenhower offered no military aid

• Protested the invasion• Sent $20 million for

food and medicine

Eisenhower Doctrine

• Soviet prestige grew in middle east due to support of Egypt

• Eisenhower had to provide a counterbalance

• Issued Eisenhower Doctrine- US would defend middle east against any communist attack

Cold War Takes to the Skies

• 1957-US thought they were ahead of the Soviets in military technology

• US had warheads that could deliver warheads 1,500 to 3,000 miles

• But by August 1957-Soviets developed an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)

Sputnik Launches the Space Race

• 10/4/57- Soviets use an ICMB to launch the 1st unmanned satellite out of Earth’s atmosphere

• Sputnik traveled 18,000 miles/hr

• Circled globe every 96.2 minutes

• If the Soviets could do this they could hit the US w/ a missile

Sputnik Launches the Space Race

• Americans felt vulnerable to nuclear attack

• US seemed to be falling behind in science and technology

• Schools attempted to improve math, science, and foreign language classes

Sputnik Launches the Space Race

• American scientists frantically tried to catch up

• January 31, 1958 US successfully launched its 1st satellite

• Race to built bigger satellites and better weapons systems was on

U2 is Shot Down

• CIA was making high altitude flights over SU

• Used U2 spy planes– Could fly higher than

Soviet fighters– Beyond the reach of

anti-aircraft fire

Was able to take detailed photos

U2 is Shot Down

• Eisenhower wanted flights discontinued

• Was afraid that if one was shot down if would hurt US/Soviet relations

• Dulles persuaded him to authorize 1 more flight

U2 is Shot Down

• May 1, 1960- US spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers shot down over Soviet territory

• US said it disappeared while on a weather mission

• Khrushchev announced what had happened

U2 is Shot Down

• Shot down 1,300 miles deep in Soviet Territory

• Powers was captured alive

• Bad moment for the US• Eisenhower took

responsibility for the flight

Khrushchev Denounces Eisenhower

• Denounced Eisenhower at what was supposed to be a second peace summit at Geneva-then left

• U2 incident ended Eisenhower’s effectiveness as a peacemaker