Dwight D. Eisenhower

Biography

Dwight Eisenhower's response to the Suez Crisis was the high point of American diplomacy in the Cold War era — and one of the most consequential acts of his presidency. The Supreme Allied Commander who had led the invasion of Europe found himself in October 1956 simultaneously managing Soviet suppression of Hungary and his own allies' attack on Egypt. Eisenhower was furious — not on principle, but because Britain and France had acted without consulting him, during the week before the US presidential election, in a way that handed the Soviets a propaganda gift. He made a single phone call threatening to destroy the British pound by selling US reserves — and the British folded within hours. His willingness to humiliate America's closest allies to preserve American credibility with the non-aligned world was his decisive Cold War strategic judgment: US legitimacy depended on opposing colonialism, even allied colonialism. He later expressed private regret that he had not let the operation proceed, believing Nasser to be a genuine threat.

Key Battles