미국역사가들과 아이젠하워 수정주의(Eisenhower Revisionism) = The Eisenhower Revisionism and the Eisenhower Post-Revisionism

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Many Scholars` assessments of Dwight D. Eisenhower and his presidency were not friendly during 1960s-1970s. They usually portrayed him as an unintelligent, uneffectual, uninformed leader. Also he was regarded as the golf-playing war hero who was ignorant of politics and major issues, or the irresponsible chief-executive who delegated much of his authority to his subordinates like John Foster Dulles. However, these evaluations have been changed since 1970s because some historians and politicians have found that Eisenhower had been excessively underestimated. And these scholars have insisted that the existing image on Eisenhower should be revised. Thus, the trend which was called `Eisenhower Revisionism` has arisen among many scholars. And it became a dominant opinion, as many historians including Fred Greenstein, Robert Divine, Stephen Ambrose joined this new trend during 1980s. Generally speaking, the basic contents of the `Eisenhower Revisionism` can be summarized to three points. First, Eisenhower was not an inept, unintelligent, passive but skilled, intelligent, active politician. Second, Eisenhower`s foreign policy was relatively successful because peace had been maintained during Eisenhower presidency. Third, Eisenhower was a sort of lone ranger for peace and disarmament who made an effort to reduce the tensions between the U. S and Soviet Union. Also he was an Dove who tried to check the Hawks, even if it was not successful. However, many recent studies have not agreed with these contents of Eisenhower Revisionism, except the first one that Eisenhower was not a passive leader among the above-mentioned points. Especially, some recent case studies which have dealt with specific foreign policy subjects - such as the Missile gap, the Surprise Attack Conference, the Nuclear Test Ban Talks - have showed that Eisenhower attached far greater value to waging Cold War than to ending it, that he contributed not to peace and arms control but to unprecedented increases in defense spending and massive buildup of nuclear weapons. In sum, they have insisted that Eisenhower was not a pacifist as revisionists has suggested. As a result, another new trend, so-called `Eisenhower Post-Revisionism` is arising against the `Eisenhower Revisionism,` just like the latter has arisen against the unfriendly assessments of Eisenhower which had prevailed during 1950s-1970s.