Rhetorical Technique in Eisenhower's 1957 Inaugural Address

The twentieth century has been called by many one of the most tumultuous in world history, overseeing the deaths of millions in wars, genocide, world wide political threats and the development of weapons of mass destruction. Some of the greatest leaders and speeches have been given in this time, trying to ease the minds of their people, and rally support to combat these fearsome forces. One of the many leaders, in the history of the United States that was able to present a powerful and combative image against such threats was Dwight D. Eisenhower. Coming to the Presidency only a few years after the Second World War, Eisenhower was faced with the problems of International Communism, and trying to unite the free world in defense of the newly suppressed world. During all of this, America saw some of its most prosperous years, growing dramatically and thriving in the post war economy. In trying to appeal to a nation slowly drawing in on its own prosperity and assess the threats of Communism, Eisenhower's second inaugural speech addressed the necessity of America's response. Throughout Eisenhower's speech, a strong antithetical approach is taking to contrasting the many wonders of America with the many tyrannies of Communism. In this, as well as various other techniques designed to align the American public as a collective force, he is able to effectively present an image of necessary action and the horror of inaction.