ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. Eisenhower's one other major task during the interregnum was his Farewell Address on January 17, 1961. 'In the councils of government', he warned, 'people must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex'. He had coined a memorable new phrase, 'the military industrial complex', which entered the language and helped to make his Farewell Address receive greater attention than perhaps any Farewell Address since George Washington's in 1797. Eisenhower's critics, however, suggest that there were serious flaws in his foreign policy. He squandered opportunities for detente, it is argued, especially early in his administration. Eisenhower manifestly adhered consistently to an approach of virulent anti-Communism. His wartime cooperation with the Soviets and his willingness in 1945-1947 to consider the possibilities of continuing Soviet-American cooperation did not leave an enduring mark upon him.
