Introduction As president Eisenhower used many of the strengths that had served him so well as a general during World War II 6
After a long Army career Dwight D Eisenhower advanced rapidly through the ranks at the beginning of World War II thanks to his leadership skills and ability to get along with everyone These same quali ties served him well in his second career as a politician and two-term president of the United States During World War II Eisenhower became one of the most successful commanders in history He directed three successful inva sions of North Africa Italy and France that turned the tide of the war and hastened the Allies victory on the European front After the war the five-star general added to his mil itary reputation through his work as Army chief of staff Later he became the first head of the armies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO Turning to politics in 1952 Eisenhower proved to be a successful commander in that field also After winning the Republican nomination for president he overwhelmingly defeated the Democratic candidate Adlai E Stevenson He thus became the 34th president of the United States and the first Republican president in 20 years 7
Dwight D Eisenhower During Eisenhower’s first term as presi dent 1953 57 the Korean War ended and the United States went on to achieve the great est prosperity in its history up to that time Eisenhower advocated for public works proj ects and reduced government spending In 1956 the Republican Party unanimously renominated Eisenhower for the presidency Campaigning on a platform of peace and pros perity Eisenhower decisively defeated the same Democratic opponent Stevenson He received 457 electoral votes to Stevenson’s 73 Eisenhower’s second term was marked by tensions related to the developing civil rights movement In 1954 the Supreme Court led by Eisenhower’s choice for chief justice Earl Warren had declared that separate schools for black and white students were uncon stitutional Three years later the governor of Arkansas called in the National Guard to prevent black students from attending an all white high school in Little Rock Eisenhower sent federal troops to protect the students In the same year Congress passed the first civil rights act since the end of Reconstruction Eisenhower faced other challenges abroad including the Suez crisis in the Middle East and the Soviet Union’s successful launch 8
Introduction of the first artificial satellite Sputnik I He aimed to reduce tension in the Cold War and invited Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev to visit the United States in 1959 Eisenhower himself embarked on several goodwill tours around the world in his final years as president that the armaments In his Farewell Address Eisenhower warned industry though necessary for the nation’s security could endanger the American democratic process Despite this warning the Cold War would only intensify during the admin istration of his successor John F Kennedy However during his eight years as president Eisenhower had proved himself to be more than just a strong leader on the battlefield As commander in chief and head of state he presided over a nation that was gaining in prosperity even as it grappled with issues of security and civil rights 9
