President Eisenhower entered office in 1953 and immediately issued the New Look policy, which combined moderation and toughness to combat communist expansion through diplomacy, containment and brinkmanship. Eisenhower's policy replaced ground forces with nuclear arms and CIA covert programs. The overriding goal was to combat communism without bankrupting the economy.

Eisenhower stood firm against international communist expansion. He supported brinkmanship, which called for escalating tensions so that the opponent falters. He engaged communism in Egypt, Guatemala and the Philippines. Domestically, he passed the Communist Control Act and the National Defense Education Act. Eisenhower will forever be remembered for his farewell address in which he warned against the rise of the military-industrial complex in the United States.