THE 1960S
Rumblings in Europe Vienna Meeting - JFK & Khrushchev (June 1961) Threatened treaty with E. Germany and cut off western access to Berlin JFK refused to be bullied Berlin Wall built in Aug 1961 to stop population drain to west Symbolized a mini iron curtain W. Europe prospering Marshall Plan and Common Market Common Market (free trade area evolves into EU) Trade Expansion Act (1962) tariff cuts up to 50% - promote trade with Common Market countries JFK wants an economically and militarily united Atlantic Community with US as dominant partner Blocked by French Charles de Gaulle also vetoed British appointment to Common Market Feared GB and US dominance in Euro affairs
June 3, 1961: Khrushchev and Kennedy have a contentious meeting in Vienna, Austria, over the Berlin ultimatum.
The Berlin Wall went up almost overnight in 1961 when the U.S. refused to leave West Berlin.
President Kennedy tells Berliners that the West is with them! Ich bin ein Berliner! (1963)
The Berlin Wall in the 1980s
The Berlin Wall in November, 1989, as demonstrators begin to chip away at it.
Foreign Issues Laos decolonized by French in 1954 Ike gave $ to stop communism still spread Communism from China could come in and infect SE Asia Laotian Civil War American troops considered insufficient forces Geneva Conference (1962) shaky peace
Flexible Response Flexible Response develop an array of military options to match gravity of crisis at hand Compromise b/w humiliation and massive retaliation Increase spending on conventional forces and special forces He also tripled the overall nuclear capabilities of the U.S. Green Berets elite anti-guerilla group trained to deal with unconventional warfare Peace Corps - an army of idealist and youthful volunteers to bring American skills to underdeveloped countries
Vietnam Vietnam was a colony of the French Vietnam split at 17 th parallel North = Communist, South = non-communist Diem ruled South Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh had N. Vietnam Diem (S. Vietnam) corrupt, ruled shakily, American $, agitators threatened to topple govt Late 1961 JFK ordered sharp increase in troops in S. Vietnam
Why enter? Vietnam Foster political stability, protect South/Diem from communists, help with social reforms Nov 1963 US encourages coup against Diem US contributed to long process of political disintegration JFK stills saying it s their war but made dangerous political commitments By 1963 15,000 troops Walt Whitman Rostow s The Stages of Economic Growth (1960) - modernization theory Underdeveloped Asia, Africa, L. America can be modern, industrial, democratic nations by following West s path Influential advisor of JFK and LBJ
Alliance for Progress L. America feared and resented the Colossus of the North Alliance for Progress - 1961 L. American Marshall Plan ($20 bil) Close gap b/w rich and poor, stop communism Little impact on immense social problems
Bay of Pigs Cuban Confrontations Ike/CIA plan to topple Castro, invade Cuba with anti-communist exiles April 17, 1961 1200 exiles land at Bay of Pigs, got bogged down, JFK stays hands off, had to surrender JFK assumes full responsibility Due to this and more covert efforts to assassinate or overthrow Castro (Operation Mongoose) = Cuba + SU
Cuban Missile Crisis Oct 1962 aerial photos show Soviets secretly installing nuclear missiles in Cuba want to shield Castro and blackmail US into backing down in Berlin and other areas Game of nuclear chicken JFK won t bomb missile sites Oct 22 naval quarantine of Cuba, demanded removal of weapons If attacked from Cuba = nuclear retaliation on SU Ships approached blockade, if seized or sunk = act of war? Oct 28 Khrushchev agreed to remove weapons, US quietly removed missiles from Turkey
Khrushchev and Castro embrace at the United Nations (September, 1960).
U-2 reconnaissance photos taken by the CIA
Range of Soviet SS-4 medium-range ballistic missiles and SS-5 intermediate-range ballistic missiles, if launched from Cuba.
October, 1962
The Organization of American States (OAS) voted unanimously to quarantine Cuba, Oct. 23, 1962
This Hurts Me More Than it Hurts You! Edmund Valtman, The Hartford Times, Oct. 30, 1962
Let s Get A Lock For This Thing Herbock, Washington Post, November 1, 1962
Effects SU increases military, US has to catch up in the 70s Khrushchev out Aug 1963 installation of Moscow- Washington hot line immediate communication in crisis Kennedy s speech at American University in DC urged America to try peaceful coexistence with SU Abandon view of SU as the Devil Began détente
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty October 1963 UK, USA, USSR treaty prohibiting all test detonations of nuclear weapons except underground Done to slow arms race as well as to protect atmosphere