Cold War Presidents and Policies Quiz

Cold War Presidents and Their Foreign Policies

• Cold War relevant presidents include Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Nixon, shaping US foreign relations.

Truman's Foreign Policies

• Containment aimed to limit the spread of communism.
• The Marshall Plan provided aid to democratic nations to prevent communist influence.
• The Berlin Airlift facilitated the transport of goods to West Berlin during Soviet blockades.
• NATO was established as a military alliance among the US, Canada, and Western European nations against Soviet threats.
• The United Nations was formed to promote international peace and security.
• Six prongs of containment included developing atomic weapons, strengthening military alliances, enhancing espionage, and utilizing propaganda.

Eisenhower's Foreign Policies

• Massive Retaliation threatened full military response to any communist aggression.
• "New Look" strategy emphasized nuclear weapons to deter potential threats.
• John Foster Dulles, as Secretary of State, played a key role in shaping foreign policy.
• Brinkmanship involved threatening war to deter Soviet expansion.
• MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) relied on the premise that nuclear war would lead to mutual annihilation.
• The Domino Theory suggested that communist victories could lead to neighboring countries falling to communism.
• In Guatemala, the CIA overthrew the leader due to his communist affiliations.
• In Cuba, the CIA's failure to assist Castro drove him closer to the Soviet Union.
• The Eisenhower Doctrine mandated US intervention to combat communism in the Middle East.
• Troops were sent to Vietnam based on fears of communist expansion.

Kennedy's Foreign Policies

• Flexible Response allowed for various military options rather than just nuclear threats.
• The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed attempt to oust Castro, contributing to heightened tensions.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis led to a nuclear standoff, resulting in a blockade and eventual negotiations removing US missiles in Turkey.
• The Apollo Program was initiated to compete with Soviet space achievements after Sputnik.
• The Berlin Crisis led to a military buildup in response to Soviet threats against West Berlin.
• Special Forces were deployed for covert operations against guerrilla fighters in Asia.
• Kennedy increased military involvement in Vietnam, often employing destructive tactics that harmed civilians.

Nixon's Foreign Policies

• Detente represented a strategy to ease tensions with the USSR focusing on arms control and trade.
• Nixon's incursion into Cambodia aimed to support anti-communist forces following a coup.
• The Peace Accords granted North Vietnamese forces a presence in South Vietnam as US troops withdrew.
• Vietnamization sought to transition military responsibilities to South Vietnam while reducing US presence.
• Henry Kissinger was pivotal in developing the policy of detente.
• Nixon leveraged tensions between China and the USSR to facilitate US withdrawal from Vietnam and improve relations with China.
• The Pentagon Papers revealed government dishonesty regarding the Vietnam War, impacting public support.
• SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) aimed to limit nuclear arms proliferation between the US and USSR.
• The Helsinki Accords recognized post-WWII borders in Europe and Soviet influence in Eastern Europe.
• Nixon’s administration backed authoritarian regimes in the Middle East to counter communism, notably supporting Israel, which led to an oil embargo.
• The War Powers Act required presidential approval from Congress before deploying troops abroad, curtailing executive military power.