In his third annual address, President Eisenhower outlined three goals of the federal government. First to maintain justice,freedom and peace. Second to keep our economy vigorous and expanding. And third to provide opportunity for every American to lead a healthy, productive and rewarding life. Of these three, Eisenhower said that supporting freedom, justice and peace was the first and foremost role of government. The president wanted every American to understand what was at stake. The struggle for justice, the struggle for peace, the struggle for freedom was a struggle over what Eisenhower called the "true nature of man". It was a struggle over our inalienable rights endowed to us by our creator. It was a struggle over our souls. It was a struggle of freedom over slavery.
"Foremost among these broad purposes of government is our support of freedom, justice and peace.
It is of the utmost importance, that each of us understand the true nature of the struggle now taking place in the world.
It is not a struggle merely of economic theories, or of forms of government, or of military power. At issue is the true nature of man. Either man is the creature whom the Psalmist described as 'a little lower than the angels,' crowned with glory and honor, holding 'dominion over the works' of his Creator; or man is a soulless, animated machine to be enslaved, used and consumed by the state for its own glorification."This struggle was the freedom of Democracy over the enslavement of Communism. The Soviet-Communist bloc was creating much uneasiness in the world. In 1955 the Soviet Union detonated its first 'true' hydrogen bomb. The RDS-37 hydrogen bomb was detonated on November 22. This was the first bomb of it's kind to be air dropped and detonated at an altitude of 1550 meters. This gave the Soviet Union a monopoly for deployable thermonuclear weapons over the United States. Furthermore, western analysts had come to the conclusion in 1955 that the Soviet Union had gained an advantage in deploying jet-powered strategic bombers. Eisenhower explained state that the Soviet Communists were relying on military force and were increasing their strength in nuclear weapons. He promised that America's response to the use of aggressive force by Communist leaders would be swift and decisive, but a military only solution would lead to a stalemate. America had to have more than a military answer. They had to frustrate the effort of the Communists to gain their goals by subversion.
"The military threat is but one menace to our freedom and security. We must not only deter aggression; we must also frustrate the effort of Communists to gain their goals by subversion. To this end, free nations must maintain and reinforce their cohesion, their internal security, their political and economic vitality, and their faith in freedom.
In such a world, America's course is dear: We must tirelessly labor to make the peace more just and durable."Eisenhower offered this plan.
1. Build up America's military strength and productive capacity to discourage others. Peace through strength.
"We must strengthen the collective defense under the United Nations Charter and gird ourselves with sufficient military strength and productive capacity to discourage resort to war and protect our nation's vital interests."2. Continue to Support and strengthen the United Nations.
"We must continue to support and strengthen the United Nations. At this very moment, by vote of the United Nations General Assembly, its Secretary-General is in Communist China on a mission of deepest concern to all Americans: seeking the release of our never-to-be-forgotten American aviators and all other United Nations prisoners wrongfully detained by the Communist regime."3. Encourage nuclear disarmament, and peaceful use of Nuclear energy.
"We must also encourage the efforts being made in the United Nations to limit armaments and to harness the atom to peaceful rise."4. Expand international trade and investment with friendly nations.
"We must expand international trade and investment and assist friendly nations whose own best efforts are still insufficient to provide the strength essential to the security of the free world."5. Negotiate peace with other free nations.
"We must be willing to use the processes of negotiation whenever they will advance the cause of just and secure peace to which the United States and other free nations are dedicated."6. Support the exchange of information between free countries (regarding atomic energy).
"In respect to all these matters, we must, through a vigorous information program, keep the peoples of the world truthfully advised of our actions and purposes. This problem has been attacked with new vigor during the past months. I urge that the Congress give its earnest consideration to the great advantages that can accrue to our country through the successful operations of this program."7. Support the educational exchange program between free countries.
"We must also carry forward our educational exchange program. This sharing of knowledge and experience between our citizens and those of free countries is a powerful factor in the development and maintenance of true partnership among free peoples."
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). Dwight D. Eisenhower: Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=10416 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018].Ctbto.org. (2018). 22 November 1955 - RDS-37: CTBTO Preparatory Commission. [online] Available at: https://www.ctbto.org/specials/testing-times/22-november-1955-rds-37 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018].
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