Graduation Year
2022
Graduation Month
May
Document Type
Thesis - Campus Access Only
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
School or Department
History
Major
History
Faculty Mentor Department
History
Faculty Mentor
Michael Mayer
Keywords
Russia, Eisenhower, Stalin, 1953, Foreign Policy, Cold War
Subject Categories
History
Abstract
President Dwight D. Eisenhower came to the White House with as much experience in military and diplomatic affairs as anyone who has held the office. From the very beginning of his first term, he faced challenges that put his experience to good use. The death of Josef Vissarionovich Stalin on March 5, 1953, created tensions for Eisenhower’s administration that hardly abated until the Geneva Summit in July of 1955. Throughout the succession struggle in the Kremlin, Eisenhower and his administration worked diligently to understand the complicated dynamics of the Soviet power hierarchy. Complicating factors for understanding what was happening in Moscow included the changing of titles, a profound lack of transparency, and shifting meaning to existing positions of power. Throughout the succession struggle that followed Stalin’s death, Eisenhower’s approach to the Soviet Union was marked by wise and measured caution. From the outside, Eisenhower’s bold speeches and plans for collaborative peace-making may have seemed almost too daring in the face of so much uncertainty. In reality, however, the President carefully considered and discussed every speech, press release, and meeting, and he acted only after an incredible amount of caution and forethought.
Honors College Research Project
Yes
GLI Capstone Project
no
Recommended Citation
Lundman, Keegan Sorelle, "Caution in Stalin's Wake: Perspectives of American Leaders" (2022). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 389.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/389
© Copyright 2022 Keegan Sorelle Lundman