EISENHOWER, INTELLIGENCE AND THE 1960 U-2 INCIDENT
University of Amsterdam Thomas van der Brugge 10262652
Master’s Thesis MA American Studies Prof. dr. R.V.A. Janssens June 20, 2017 Abstract
Eisenhower and the intelligence community were interwoven in his presidency. During his military career, Eisenhower became familiar with intelligence during World War II, as the
United Kingdom provided him information through their ULTRA program. When
Eisenhower became president, he wanted to diminish the influence of the Cold War on the
United States economy in the long run. Eisenhower used various forms of intelligence, because it was more inexpensive than conventional warfare. The Central Intelligence
Agency overthrew governments in Iran (1953) and Guatemala (1954). These coup d’états were perceived to be successful in the short run and therefore these covert operations formed the basis for later clandestine missions. During the late 1950s, the need for intelligence from the Soviet Union increased, as the bomber gap and the missile gap made
Congress and public wary about a possible Soviet technological advantage. Therefore, the
Central Intelligence Agency started flying Lockheed U-2 spy planes over the Soviet Union, photographing Soviet military bases. On one of those missions, the U-2 of Francis Gary
Powers was shot down. The incident led to a deterioration of the American-Soviet relationship. While Eisenhower wanted to incorporate intelligence to make the Cold War less of a financial burden for the United States, his short term look on the use of intelligence only intensified and extended the war.