ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. This book recounts the story of the United States and the Cold War in a very special period that has not been adequately dealt with, the late 1950s, after the orbiting of the first earth satellite, Sputnik I. It describes the major international crises and their background, which often proves an interesting if complex story, for most Cold War crises were a mixture of local conflicts, often revolving around issues of immediate interest, originally, only to the often bewildered local peoples involved, but in which the big powers were entangled. It will be observed that the United States, and the other Western powers, during this period, were not always exactly punctilious in their observation of international norms—notably in plotting the overthrow of hostile governments, usually through covert means, but sometimes considering outright armed intervention.
