Eisenhower succeeded Truman to serve as US President from 1953-1961. During his leadership, he took a tough line on Communism and adopted a political ideal which sought to push back Communism from Europe and the world. As supreme commander of NATO in 1951, he stood firm against the USSR, especially on the right of the Allies to a presence in Berlin at a time when the Russians wanted Berlin to be solely part of the Communist East.

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite into space. US President Eisenhower responded by establishing NASA, leading to the beginning of the space race. The need to produce ever-more advanced weapons proved very expensive, but by 1960 Eisenhower had hopes of reducing stockpiles of weapons.

He and Khrushchev made public statements about wanting to strike a deal to limit the arms race in the interest of 'peaceful progress'. These hopes collapsed when an American U-2 spyplane was shot down over Soviet territory and Eisenhower refused to apologise for spying on the USSR.