16.3 The Cold War Expands Nuclear Threat • In 1949, the United States learned that the Soviet Union now had an atomic bomb. • Communists took over China swiftly after, and suddenly the world was more threatening. The Arms Race • After this revelation, President Truman ordered the production of a Hydrogen bomb. • For the next four decades, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. stockpiled nuclear weapons, which became known as the Arms Race. Brinkmanship • President Eisenhower continued to stockpile nuclear weapons to back his foreign policy. • His Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, believed that the only way to discourage communist aggression was to go to the brink of war, an approach known as brinkmanship. Nikita Khrushchev • Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union, continued to spread communism. • Polish workers rioted against the Soviet Union and gained greater say in their government, but when others tried this approach they were crushed by Khrushchev. Suez Crisis • Egypt's president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, wanted to build a dam on the Nile river called the Suez Canal, but because of his communist relations, the U.S. refused to help. • Britain and France invaded Egypt and took control of the dam, but withdrew when the U.S. wouldn't support them. Eisenhower Doctrine • Eisenhower announced that the U.S. would aid any country threatened by communism. • This Eisenhower Doctrine was used to silence a revolt against pro-American government in Lebanon. CIA • Eisenhower also used the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), to help build pro- American governments in Iran and Guatemala. NASA • In October of 1957, the Soviets launched the satellite Sputnik 1. • Alarmed, Congressed passed legislation to educate more scientists and created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Review Questions • How were brinkmanship and massive retaliation supposed to deter communist aggression? By threatening the communists with a massive war. Review Questions • What three countries were the focus of the Eisenhower Doctrine? Lebanon, Iran, and Guatemala. .