ABSTRACT
The first year of the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration saw the beginning of what would be termed a ‘special relationship’ that would remain strong for over twenty years. Eisenhower’s prioritisation of Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa also meant that little changed with regards to American policy towards Eritrea. Whether the contest between communism and democracy continues as “cold war” or as competitive coexistence, its principal battlefield is likely to be African. The continuing war in Korea and American-Soviet relations dominated foreign policy during the transition, with little thought for Africa. The fact that the Soviets had offered economic aid to Somalia after independence provided “an added element of urgency,” and American fears were exacerbated by hints that Somalia could be wooed to the Soviet bloc. As well as Asia – particularly Korea and Indochina – Eisenhower also recognised the importance of Africa when it came to the threat of communism in the developing world.
