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For reference, the specific class was "People of the US from 1865" (HIST 018). This paper was written in Chicago Style, using footnotes for citations, and has been adapted for Wattpad. Additionally, some information has been excluded from my professor's lecture citations to not reveal my physical location.
"Answer the following questions in a written essay using and citing material from primary source documents, jstor.org, your textbook, and lectures:
How did Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy handle the challenges of the Cold War?"
If you'd like some more information on the topic/purpose of this essay, leave a comment!
Grade: 93%
Despite one of the largest international conflicts—filled with many separate atrocities—coming to an end in the 1940s, tensions remained high for decades. The Cold War was the struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union as the Soviet Union fought to dominate the globe (1). Three U.S. presidents stood at the forefront of this era: Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy. Each had their own approach toward the Soviet Union including Truman's reactionary policy, Eisenhower's strategic plans, and Kennedy's aggressive actions.
At the beginning of the Cold War, President Truman took a humanitarian and reactionary approach when combating the Soviet Union. Despite acting as vice president, Truman wasn't involved in foreign affairs and so was thrust into overseeing some of the most consequential choices for the nation and its role in the world (2). Through his administration, Truman sought to contain the Soviet Union and its communist ideals (3). He introduced legislation such as the Truman Doctrine to provide aid to foreign nations and defend freedom from aggression (4). Another step toward peaceful containment through humanitarian actions was the Berlin Airlift during which the U.S. supplied residents of West Berlin with necessities rather than using military force to stop the Soviet Union's blockade (5). Although commendable for their impact on afflicted nations near the Soviet Union, Truman's efforts were made in reaction to European and Soviet movements. One domestic example was the establishment of the National Security Council (NSC) in reaction to rising tensions with the Soviet Union. Additionally, Truman only started following the NSC's plan to win the Cold War by further developing the U.S. military (6) after the Soviet's involvement in the Korean War (7).
The next president to tackle the Cold War was President Eisenhower with his careful strategic approach. Unlike Truman, Eisenhower stepped into his presidency prepared (8). From the outset, he worked to devise a way to win the Cold War without sacrificing American values. Eisenhower outlined preventive measures for war and enforced the protection of American ideals. He also held the notion of possibly settling with the Soviet Union (9). In practice, Eisenhower was able to establish a ceasefire in Korea, stave off Soviet invasions in Asia, and support the development of free nations around the world (10). Before his second term ended, Eisenhower warned that for the nation to succeed, everyone must be wary of trying to meet short-term crisis rather than the long-term prosperity of the nation and world through mutual respect (11).
Finally, there was John F. Kennedy who challenged the Soviet Union and used an aggressive approach. From the get-go, Kennedy stirred the waters and intensified the Cold War, calling out to fight the Soviet's power around the world (12). He developed his flexible response which called for the use of conventional and special armed forces as well as nuclear weapons (13). Following the Bay of Pigs failure—which made Kennedy look weak and spurred Cuban cries for Soviet help—came the Cuban Missile Crisis. This crisis, arguably a result of Kennedy's aggressive approach to the Cold War, is regarded as the closest the world came to a third world war and a devastating nuclear war (14). Nevertheless, Kennedy was able to negotiate the safe removal of nuclear weapons from Cuba and cool the tensions back into a cold war.
Due to the unfortunate longevity of the Cold War, different American presidential administrations were able to introduce unique approaches to the Soviet Union's attempts at world domination. The presidents of the early Cold War—Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy—each viewed America's role differently. As a result, their actions domestically and internationally had varying degrees of impact on the Soviet Union's expansion.
(1) Stephen Tootle, "History 18 Module 10 Movie" (lecture)
(2) Wilfred M. McClay, Land of Hope (New York, Encounter Books, 2019), 492
(3) Graebner, Norman. "The Truman Administration and the Cold War." Current History 35, no. 206 (1958): 223–28. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45313611.
(4) Ibid.
(5) Wilfred M. McClay, Land of Hope (New York, Encounter Books, 2019), 499–500
(6) "National Security Council Memorandum Number 68" (1950)
(7) Stephen Tootle, "History 18 Module 10 Movie" (lecture)
(8) Stephen Tootle, "History 18 Module 11 Movie" (lecture)
(9) "A Report to the National Security Council (NSC 162-2)" (October 30, 1953)
(10) Stephen Tootle, "History 18 Module 11 Movie" (lecture)
(11) Dwight D. Eisenhower, "Farewell to the Nation" (1961)
(12) John F. Kennedy, "Inaugural Address" (1961)
(13) Stephen Tootle, "History 18 Module 11 Movie" (lecture)
(14) Stephen Tootle, "History 18 Module 11 Movie" (lecture)
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