Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower

<a href="/facts/Dwight_D._Eisenhower/a21WXe8r">Dwight D. Eisenhower</a>'s tenure as the <a href="/facts/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States/Vh0XFrco">34th president of the United States</a> began with <a href="/facts/First_inauguration_of_Dwight_D._Eisenhower/EyJRBB47">his first inauguration</a> on January 20, 1953, and ended on January 20, 1961. Eisenhower, a <a href="/facts/Republican_Party_(United_States)/XXM1EVPr">Republican</a> from <a href="/facts/Kansas/koenIXmE">Kansas</a>, took office following his landslide victory over <a href="/facts/Democratic_Party_(United_States)/MNe3nDrL">Democratic</a> nominee <a href="/facts/Adlai_Stevenson_II/lCmbMIpW">Adlai Stevenson</a> in the <a href="/facts/1952_United_States_presidential_election/Fs487584">1952 presidential election</a>. Four years later, in the <a href="/facts/1956_United_States_presidential_election/LyeTtddX">1956 presidential election</a>, he defeated Stevenson again, to win re-election in a larger landslide. Eisenhower was limited to two terms and was succeeded by Democrat <a href="/facts/John_F._Kennedy/1cdDaswg">John F. Kennedy</a>, who won the <a href="/facts/1960_United_States_presidential_election/4kAkL4E5">1960 presidential election</a>.
Eisenhower held office during the <a href="/facts/Cold_War/spJdJQ3q">Cold War</a>, a period of geopolitical tension between the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a> and the <a href="/facts/Soviet_Union/m7wWsPto">Soviet Union</a>. Eisenhower's <a href="/facts/New_Look_(policy)/dV7faKIg">New Look policy</a> stressed the importance of <a href="/facts/Deterrence_theory/rllU6aJf">nuclear weapons as a deterrent</a> to military threats, and the United States built up a stockpile of <a href="/facts/Nuclear_weapon/QVdBcMdm">nuclear weapons</a> and <a href="/facts/Nuclear_weapons_delivery/8jJuJnzD">nuclear weapons delivery</a> systems during Eisenhower's presidency. Soon after taking office, Eisenhower negotiated an end to the <a href="/facts/Korean_War/Qo93pNhE">Korean War</a>, resulting in the partition of <a href="/facts/Korea/cj2kDBzc">Korea</a>. Following the <a href="/facts/Suez_Crisis/mlfbUT51">Suez Crisis</a>, Eisenhower promulgated the <a href="/facts/Eisenhower_Doctrine/zmazkF5G">Eisenhower Doctrine</a>, strengthening U.S. commitments in the <a href="/facts/Middle_East/8CD6pLWv">Middle East</a>. In response to the <a href="/facts/Cuban_Revolution/eXmVpzVl">Cuban Revolution</a>, the Eisenhower administration broke ties with <a href="/facts/Cuba/vHjTXLPW">Cuba</a> and began preparations for an invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles, eventually resulting in the failed <a href="/facts/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion/MR31HmRe">Bay of Pigs Invasion</a>. Eisenhower also allowed the <a href="/facts/Central_Intelligence_Agency/U7urmQYL">Central Intelligence Agency</a> to engage in covert actions, such as the <a href="/facts/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat/6poAfCcE">1953 Iranian coup d'état</a> and the <a href="/facts/1954_Guatemalan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat/xNFUb4mI">1954 Guatemalan coup d'état</a>.
In domestic affairs, Eisenhower supported a policy of modern Republicanism that occupied a middle ground between <a href="/facts/Modern_liberalism_in_the_United_States/HGn9XCda">liberal</a> Democrats and the <a href="/facts/Conservatism_in_the_United_States/ye90yMMJ">conservative</a> wing of the Republican Party. Eisenhower continued <a href="/facts/New_Deal/R33TXQFB">New Deal</a> programs, expanded <a href="/facts/Social_Security_(United_States)/aXUHgqLx">Social Security</a>, and prioritized a balanced budget over tax cuts. He played a major role in establishing the <a href="/facts/Interstate_Highway_System/99o39I6K">Interstate Highway System</a>, a massive infrastructure project consisting of tens of thousands of miles of <a href="/facts/Divided_highway/EvfvIXY6">divided highways</a>. After the launch of <a href="/facts/Sputnik_1/GQ5KLlNC">Sputnik 1</a>, Eisenhower signed the <a href="/facts/National_Defense_Education_Act/wcVsNpNg">National Defense Education Act</a> and presided over the creation of <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>. Eisenhower signed the first significant civil rights bill since the end of <a href="/facts/Reconstruction_Era/W6lgbxvn">Reconstruction</a> and although he did not fully embrace the <a href="/facts/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States/rJHothwW">Supreme Court</a>'s landmark <a href="/facts/Segregation_in_the_United_States/AHovv4q6">desegregation</a> ruling in the 1954 case of <a href="/facts/Brown_v._Board_of_Education/g8KI1T4g">Brown v. Board of Education</a>, he did enforce the Court's ruling.
Eisenhower maintained positive approval ratings throughout his tenure, but the launch of Sputnik 1 and a poor economy contributed to Republican losses in the <a href="/facts/1958_United_States_elections/1d3LcXL1">1958 elections</a>. His preferred successor, Vice President <a href="/facts/Richard_Nixon/HS8uXAoC">Richard Nixon</a>, won the <a href="/facts/1960_Republican_National_Convention/eqXIWly2">Republican nomination</a> but was narrowly defeated by John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election. Eisenhower left office popular with the public. Eisenhower is generally <a href="/facts/Historical_rankings_of_presidents_of_the_United_States/SzRz5GwT">ranked</a> among the 10 greatest presidents.

Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower open-in-new

Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower