Presidential Legacies: Cold War Democrats (and Ike): 1945-1969

The next set of presidents faced a drastically changed world. Following World War II, Europe was in shambles, the Soviet Union was throwing its weight around, and America was the last man standing. As such, the post-war presidents filled the vacuum left by collapsed European powers. America became the world’s policeman. As such, the United States moved to thwart Soviet expansionism. The U.S. did this for three reasons. First, the Soviets moved into Eastern Europe and refused to leave. Second, the Soviets’ stated purpose was worldwide revolution. Third, Hitler already plunged the world into a global conflict that took millions of lives. Stalin was not that much different than the German dictator. So, checking Soviet expansionism became a way to stop World War III.

Harry Truman was the first president to face this threat. His response was decisive and set the policy that was essentially followed by his successors through 1991. When George Kennan wrote his long telegram arguing that the U.S.S.R. respected strength and would back down if confronted, Truman made it his own. American policy toward the Russians would be based on containment. Communism would not be allowed to spread beyond its current borders. In order to achieve these ends, Truman pumped money in the form of the Marshall Plan into Europe. The plan got Western Europe back on its feet by the early fifties. He backed the Democratic forces in Greece and Turkey when Communism threatened. They survived. When North Korea invaded South Korea, Truman sent in MacArthur. Despite Chinese intervention, South Korea remained free. Despite his foreign policy achievements, including ending World War II, Truman was unpopular. Due to his low approval ratings and advanced age, he stepped down from office. However, his Containment Policy survived the Truman Presidency by forty years.

Truman’s immediate successor was General Eisenhower. Ike continued his predecessor’s policies and balanced the budget. Ike also created the Interstate Highway System which created Modern America. The system was designed with defense in mind. It ended up creating the suburbs. Americans were no longer shackled. They did not have to either live in the country or the city. They could now more easily go on cross country vacations, work far from home, and so on.

Eisenhower faced international crises as well, but being Ike, he was able to confront them and calm the nation. John F. Kennedy being John F. Kennedy, and not General Eisenhower, gave the Soviets no pause. After a failed attempt to overthrow Cuba’s Fidel Castro, the Soviets decided to place offensive nuclear missiles on the island. What followed was a textbook example of crisis management. Kennedy ordered a blockade. Technically, this was an act of war. However, Robert Kennedy was negotiating behind the scenes and an agreement was reached. The Soviets backed down. The world did not incinerate. The Soviets would remove the missiles from Cuba. The U.S. would remove antiquated missiles from Turkey. The Soviets would not mention the deal. America would not remove Castro. The Cuban Missile Crisis ended and the world survived.

While Kennedy stepped to the edge, Lyndon Johnson went over it. Lyndon Johnson managed to anger everyone. His Great Society angered Conservatives, led to large deficits in subsequent decades, and is generally considered a failure. His Civil Rights policies angered the South and sent the entire region over to the G.O.P. Freeing African-Americans (with more Republican support than Democratic) should have been his crowning glory. However, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Fair Housing Act of 1968 are overshadowed by Vietnam.

The Vietnam War destroyed Johnson. As it dragged on, more people became disillusioned. After three years, the administration told Americans that the war was almost over. Then, the enemy launched a daring attack on the Tet New Year. In 1968, they attacked every major city in South Vietnam and fought in the American Embassy in Saigon. The U.S. won a major victory, but it did not look like it on television. Walter Cronkite declared the war lost. Johnson later announced he would not seek another term as president. The Democratic Party after 1968 fell to the McGovernites and has yet to recover.