Foreign Policy Of Eisenhower’s Administration
Eisenhower took the office in 1953, when Korean War finally ended. The expenses of it were too high for the United States, and there was a need to support national economy while at the same time maintaining military power. The Cold War was in progress, and Truman’s policy of containment was still in force. The need to hold communism in the borders of the Soviet Union was really urgent since many new states appeared on world political map after World War II, and not to let them fall under the influence of the Soviet Union was a question of vital importance. Thus, Eisenhower had to combine political and military needs with the needs to save budget costs.
In response to the factors described above, the doctrine of massive retaliation was elaborated. It made emphasis on taking advantage of the U.S. superiority in nuclear arms rather than on the use of conventional military force. Thus, military expenditures were cut down. The doctrine meant that the U.S. was going to react to any threat on the part of the Soviet Union anywhere in the world “by means and at places of our own choosing” (Bacevich, 2007, p. 63), up to the use of nuclear weapons. However, the doctrine had several weaknesses. Firstly, it raised the tension in relations with the U.S.S.R. to the highest level. Secondly, it did not prove to be successful in some local conflicts. For example, when Soviet troops suppressed the Hungarian revolution in 1956, the U.S. did not choose to resort to massive retaliation though it was clearly a threat to democracy. In practice, it was obvious that massive retaliation was not an adequate measure for settling local conflicts. Finally, such an aggressive doctrine could lead to the desire of the U.S.S.R. to launch a first strike.
To pursue American interests, Eisenhower’s Administration resorted to what the critics called “pactomania”: the extension of formal alliances and conclusion of bilateral defense treaties ((Bacevich, 2007, p. 63). During Eisenhower’s presidency, treaties with South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan were signed; Bagdad Pact, or CENTO (Central Treaty Organization), and SEATO (South East Asia Treaty Organization) were concluded. At the same time, the United States caused discontent of its allies and questioned the unity of NATO by the attempt to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in Western Europe (Dockrill, 2004, p. 134). This shows that Eisenhower’s policy was not free from inconsistencies.
The situation in the Third World countries was one of the major concerns for the United States. It was necessary to prevent their fall under the influence of the Soviet Union. When Egypt gained its independence, the United States tried to offer their economic aid but had to withdraw their offer when it became obvious that Nasser is more inclined to flirt with the U.S.S.R. In Latin America, the U.S.A. tried to strengthen their positions by the means of greater presence of American companies instead of providing governmental aids, but this attempt failed due to animosity of Latin American countries to American capital and their threats to nationalize American enterprises. American influence on Cuba was also defeated when Fidel Castro overthrew the Batista regime. In Asia, the application of domino theory finally led to the U.S. involvement in the notorious Vietnam War, since it was believed that if Vietnam fell under the communist control, the rest of Asia would also become communist because of a kind of chain reaction. Thus, the problems posed by the Third World were abundant, and the resolutions found were not always successful.
Therefore, the major shortcomings of Eisenhower’s foreign policy are: the excessive emphasis on the United States nuclear power and threats to destroy Soviet Union in case of aggression in any part of the world; inadequacy of massive retaliation doctrine to local conflicts where the interests of the United States were not directly involved; low effectiveness of the numerous pacts and treaties concluded by the U.S. However, it should be noted that the New Look overall coped with the task of reducing the costs of the Cold War for the United States and did not allow the U.S.S.R. to take a significant advantage in the rivalry.
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