a) US Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy approached the issue of West Africa differently. While Eisenhower had no interest in West Africa, Kennedy recognized early in his political career that West Africa would be a great strategic point for the Cold War. President Eisenhower had no interest in West Africa from a strategic foreign policy standpoint. He was unwilling to ally with any nation in West Africa that would not offer themselves completely to a similar anti-communist foreign policy. Additionally, Eisenhower was not a supporter a African independence. Muehlenbeck writes that Eisenhower believed that Africans were not “mature enough” to gain independence. While Eisenhower himself did not see the importance of West Africa, a member of his administration, Richard Nixon, similarly to JFK, viewed West Africa as critical to the Foreign Policy of the United States. President Kennedy, on the other hand was an early support of West African independence. This is due to his impressions of the new nations as strategic points for the Cold War. JFK created strong relationships with the leaders of the new nations, especially in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. These relationships allowed the US to remain influential throughout West Africa during the Cold War. …show more content…
While he was leaning towards the Soviets, I would have seen this as a perfect opportunity to gain serious influence in a nation that the Soviets assumed they would be able to have influence in. While it seems somewhat shallow, the President of the United States must protect American interests. Therefore, I would have done everything I could to prevent Communism from reaching further west. This would include giving aid to nations that have leaders that are rumored to be Communist. If there was any chance that I could gain American influence in that nation, I would accept that