Ike: The First Inaugural Address of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
11-2024
Department 1
History
Abstract
This chapter describes the inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower as the nation’s thirty-fourth president, which was conducted in the midst of a stalemated war in Korea. The Korean War was one of the factors contributing to Eisenhower’s decisive victory over Democrat Adlai Stevenson in November 1952. It looks at three key themes that were central to Eisenhower’s crusade: communism, corruption, and Korea. The chapter considers the inaugural speech Eisenhower delivered as neither the longest nor the shortest of its kind, nor was it filled with florid expressions. Eisenhower highlighted the importance of the American nation’s founding documents and the watchfulness of Divine Providence and observed the struggle against atheistic communism, which was central to America’s future.
DOI
10.1093/oso/9780197644997.003.0093
Recommended Citation
Birkner, Michael. "Ike: The First Inaugural Address of Dwight D. Eisenhower." In My Fellow Americans: Presidents and Their Inaugural Addresses, edited by Yuvraj Singh and Ted Widmer. Oxford University Press, 2024.