CCEA A-Level History 4010
England 1509–58AS Unit 1
England 1603–49AS Unit 1
Britain in the Age of Reform 1830–80AS Unit 1
Italy and Germany 1815–71AS Unit 1
Germany 1919–45AS Unit 1
Spain and Europe 1556–98AS Unit 2
The Ascendancy of France in Europe 1660–1714AS Unit 2
Ireland 1823–67AS Unit 2
France 1815–70AS Unit 2
Russia 1914–41AS Unit 2
Italy's Quest for Great Power Status 1871–1943AS Unit 2
Crown and Parliament in England 1625–1714A2 Unit 1
Ireland Under the Union 1800–1900A2 Unit 1
The Causes and Consequences of Great Power Conflict 1848–1945A2 Unit 1
The American Presidency 1901–2000A2 Unit 1
Clash of Ideologies in Europe 1900–2000A2 Unit 1
England 1558–1603A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1685–1714A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1778–1803A2 Unit 2
Partition of Ireland 1900–25A2 Unit 2
The American Presidency 1901–2000
Eisenhower, Kennedy and the imperial presidency
- 3 things to know
- A2 Unit 1
Overview
Massive retaliation, bay of Pigs and new Frontier.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Why does covert action matter in the study of presidential power?
What did the launch of Sputnik in 1957 provoke in the United States?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
How did Eisenhower approach the office?
Model answer
Eisenhower worked through a formal staff system and preferred to shape events out of sight, so that his hand in decisions was often invisible even to his critics.
- 2
What was massive retaliation?
Model answer
Massive retaliation was the doctrine that the United States would answer aggression at a time and place of its own choosing with nuclear weapons. Nuclear forces cost far less than large conventional armies.
- 3
How did Eisenhower use the Central Intelligence Agency?
Model answer
Eisenhower authorised covert operations that overturned governments in Iran in 1953 and Guatemala in 1954, of which Congress and the public knew nothing at the time.
- 4
Why does covert action matter in the study of presidential power?
Model answer
Covert action allowed a president to make foreign policy in secret, with no debate, no declaration and no accountability until long afterwards.
- 5
What did Eisenhower warn about in his farewell address?
Model answer
Eisenhower warned in 1961 that the permanent arms industry and the military establishment had gained an influence over American government that threatened liberty.
- 6
What did the launch of Sputnik in 1957 provoke in the United States?
Model answer
The Soviet satellite caused alarm about American backwardness, and Congress created a national space agency and voted federal money for science education in response.
Other ways to work this
The same content, four other ways.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Every question in The American Presidency 1901–2000, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.