Dwight D. Eisenhower

Lore & Background

Eisenhower was born David Dwight Eisenhower in Denison, Texas, the third of seven sons. His mother reversed his forenames to avoid confusion. The family moved to Abilene, Kansas, which he considered his hometown. He graduated from West Point in 1915. During World War I, he was denied a request to serve in Europe and instead commanded a unit training tank crews. Between the wars, he served in staff positions in the US and the Philippines, reaching brigadier general shortly before US entry into World War II. He oversaw the Allied invasions of North Africa, Sicily, France, and Germany. After the war, he served as military governor of the American-occupied zone of Germany, Army Chief of Staff, president of Columbia University, and first supreme commander of NATO.

Reader's Guide

Eisenhower's presidency is historically evaluated among the upper tier of US presidents. He entered the 1952 race as a Republican to block Senator Robert A. Taft, who opposed NATO and the New Deal. Eisenhower won landslides in 1952 and 1956 against Adlai Stevenson II. His New Look policy prioritized nuclear deterrence over expensive Army divisions. He considered using nuclear weapons to end the Korean War, and an armistice was reached. He supported regime-changing coups in Iran and Guatemala, condemned the Suez invasion, and deployed troops to Lebanon. Domestically, he continued New Deal agencies, expanded Social Security, signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, and enforced school integration in Little Rock. He created NASA and the National Defense Education Act after Sputnik. In his farewell address, he warned of the military–industrial complex.

Did You Know?

• Eisenhower was originally named David Dwight Eisenhower; his mother reversed the names to avoid having two Davids in the family.
• He was denied a request to serve in Europe during World War I and instead commanded a unit that trained tank crews.
• Eisenhower considered using nuclear weapons to end the Korean War and may have threatened China with nuclear attack.
• He was baptized in the Presbyterian Church in 1953.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"As quoted in "What Americans forget about French resistance" (7 May 2015), by Charles Kaiser, Cable News Network, Atlanta, Georgia." — Dwight D. Eisenhower "If a problem cannot be solved, enlarge it." — Dwight D. Eisenhower "December 29, 1943 letter as qtd. in "The Law of Armed Conflict: Constraints on the Contemporary Use of Military Force", edited by Howard M. Hensel, 2007, p. 58." — Dwight D. Eisenhower "May 26 1944 letter as qtd. in "The Law of Armed Conflict: Constraints on the Contemporary Use of Military Force", edited by Howard M. Hensel, 2007, p. 58." — Dwight D. Eisenhower