Eisenhower and the Soviet Union

Adam Boon received a PhD in History from Queen Mary, University of London in 2021. His doctoral research provided the foundation for this book. He is now an analyst at the UK Government.

This book is a compelling read, and I recommend it for all those interested in understanding what makes foreign policy. Boon contributes to an important re-assessment of Eisenhower. His analysis of the president’s role in US policy towards the USSR recognises the complexity of government decision-making and identifies missed opportunities.

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction: Leadership and Soviet policy in the Context of Eisenhower’s Presidency: ‘Be the Leader of the United States and the World!’1. Reviewing the Truman Inheritance, Stalin’s Death, and Atoms for Peace: ‘The Eisenhower Era Begins as the Stalin Era Ends’2. Implementing New Look, Pursuing Atoms for Peace, and the Resumption of Dialogue at the Berlin Conference: ‘Our Foreign Policy is Shaping up Sounder than ever Before’3. Eisenhower and the ‘Great Spectacle’ of the Geneva Summit: ‘Each Side Believes the Other has Horns and a Tail’4. The Twin Crises of Suez and Hungary, Khrushchev’s Secret Speech, and the 1956 Re-Election Campaign: ‘The Most Crowded and Demanding Period of my Presidency’5. Arms Control, Sputnik, and Diplomatic Paralysis: ‘The Seductive Qualities of Soviet Promises’6. Nuclear Testing, Berlin, and Inviting Khrushchev to America: ‘Be Careful Not to Go to War Just for the Stamp’7. Khrushchev at Camp David, the Paris Summit, and the End of Eisenhower’s Presidency: ‘Everything Depends on the Two of Us’Conclusion: What does the Management of US-Soviet Relations Tell Us About Eisenhower’s Presidential Leadership? ‘The Unhappy Intimacy this Involves’Bibliography