Alliances and shifts: FRG and NATO; the Warsaw Pact; SEATO; Eisenhower, Dulles and 'brinkmanship'; the domino theory; attitude to French struggle in Indo-China; the Geneva Conference
By the mid-1950s, both superpowers had built rival military alliances across the globe. The USA also adopted aggressive new strategies — threatening nuclear war to stop communism spreading.
Real World
At the 1954 Geneva Conference, Vietnam was temporarily split at the 17th parallel — a settlement France accepted but the USA refused to sign, foreshadowing decades of direct US military involvement to prevent the 'domino' of South Vietnam falling to communism.
Exam Focus
When explaining brinkmanship, name a specific crisis it was applied to (e.g. Taiwan Strait, 1954) — abstract definitions without evidence score poorly.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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