Eisenhower & The Cold War

How did the United States react to the following 7 events, and why?

1. The Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb in 1949.
The United States reacted to the Soviet Union exploding its first atomic bomb in 1949 by forcing Truman with the decision to make a deadlier weapon. The bomb would be more horrifying and more powerful.
2. In 1951, the Iranian prime minister placed the oil industry in Iran under the Iranian government’s control.
The United States reacted to this by sending money to anti-Mossadegh supporters because the US feared that Mossadegh might look to the Soviet Union for money because the economy went down when Britain stopped buying oil. The CIA wanted the pro-American Shah in charge of the oil and they returned to power eventually. They did this to avoid communism leaking into Iran.


3. The Guatemalan head of government gave American-owned land in Guatemala to peasants.
The United states reacted to this by training an army which then invaded Guatemala, the army did not defend the president and he had to resign and the military leader became the dictator. The United states invaded because it was believed that Guatemala had communist sympathies.



4. In 1956, Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt and occupied the Suez Canal.
The United States reacted to this by persuaded Britain, France, and Israel to withdraw from the Canal so they could avoid a war with Egypt. Egypt kept control of the Canal but the US made a good decision because they believed that if Britain, france and Israel occupied part of the Canal and Egypt part of the Canal than the forces would clash and fighting would break out.

5. Soviet tanks invaded Hungary and fired on protesters in 1956.
The United States did nothing to help Hungary break free of Soviet control because the American policy of containment did not extend to driving the Soviet Union out of it's satellite nations.

6. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik.
The United States reacted to the Soviet Union launching Sputnik by pouring money into their own space program because the US was shocked that the Soviet Union had beat them in creating an artificial satellite. The first attempt of a US satellite failed but the second was successful.

7. In 1960, the Soviet Union brought down an American U-2 piloted by Francis Gary Powers.
Eisenhower denied that the U-2 had been spying over the Soviet Union because it would create great tension between the two powers but the Soviets had evidence that the U-2 was there to spy, and Eisenhower had to admit it, and inevitably it caused a lot of tension.