Ch 27-1 Kennedy and the Cold War The Main Idea President Kennedy continued the Cold War policy of resisting the spread of communism by offering to help other nations and threatening to use force if necessary. Content Statement Analyze how the Cold War influenced domestic and international politics between the end of WWII and 1992. (Bay of Pigs/Cuban Missile Crisis)
Ch 27-1 vocabulary John F. Kennedy Robert Kennedy Fidel Castro Bay of Pigs invasion Lyndon B. Johnson Cuban missile crisis Peace Corps Alliance for Progress Flexible response
Ch 27-1 vocabulary John F. Kennedy: (1917-1963) 35 th president of the U.S.; he was the youngest person(43) and first Roman Catholic elected president. Assassinated in Dallas, Texas 11/22/1963. Robert Kennedy: (1925-1968) American politician; he was Attorney General during his brother s presidency and was assassinated during his bid for the 1968 Democratic Party s bid for president. Fidel Castro: Communist political leader of Cuba; he helped overthrow the Cuban government in 1959 and seized control of the country, exercising total control of the government and economy. Bay of Pigs invasion: the failed attempt of Cuban exiles backed by the U.S. to overthrow the Cuban socialist government of Fidel Castro.
Ch 27-1 vocabulary Lyndon B. Johnson: (1908-1973) 36 th president of U.S.; he took office after the assassination of JFK Cuban missile crisis: (1962) confrontation between the U.S and U.S.S.R. over missiles in Cuba Peace Corps: a program that trains and sends volunteers to poor nations to serve as educators, health care workers, agricultural advisers and in other jobs. Alliance for Progress: President Kennedy s program to provide economic aid to Latin America Flexible response: a response strategy to nuclear tensions that involved strengthening conventional U.S. forces so the nation would have options other than nuclear weapons in times of crisis.
1. Kennedy Becomes President John F. Kennedy from a wealthy, politically powerful family. In Congress since 1946. Good looking, young, and comfortable in front of the television cameras 1 st ever presidential debate on television Sept 26, 1960. Those who watched thought Kennedy won. Radio listeners gave edge to Nixon. People felt Kennedy represented the future; Nixon s association with 70 year old Eisenhower seen as America s past
1 st Television Debate
2.The Election of 1960 Adopted the term new frontier : Kennedy s Agenda There are new frontiers for America to conquer... Not frontiers on a map, but frontiers of the mind, the will, and the spirit of man. JFK Played on the nation s Cold War fears Claimed the nation s prosperity was not reaching the poor Seventeen million Americans go to bed hungry at night JFK Rallied the African American vote when Kennedy called Coretta King after Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested; Robert Kennedy persuaded the judge to release King One of the closest elections in history
Election of 1960
3.Kennedy Takes Office Inaugural Address Focused on change Strong anti-communist tone Did not specify his domestic policy goals because so much division existed over domestic issues Kennedy s Advisors Gathered a group some called the best and the brightest as his advisors. Many taught at Harvard or MIT. Most of Kennedy s advisors were young. Closest advisor was his brother, Robert ( Bobby ) Kennedy who served as Attorney General. 36 years old. Cabinet members had less influence than White House advisors.
Causes of WWI and WWII 1) Militarism: building up of military weapons 2) Alliances: WWI: Triple Alliance (Central Powers) Triple Entente (The Allies) WWII: Axis Powers (Japan, Germany, Italy) Allied Powers. Cold War: NATO (U.S.), Warsaw Pact (U.S.S.R) 3) Imperialism: expanding territorial claims 4) Nationalism nations acting in their own self interest without regard to other countries.
4.Background Fidel Castro was in power in Cuba. Came to power after a guerrilla war, promised to restore people s rights and freedoms Once in power, he seized private businesses and made overtures to Soviet Union. U.S. cut off economic and diplomatic ties under Eisenhower 4.Kennedy Kennedy learned during 1960 campaign that the CIA was training troops to invade Cuba and topple Castro. Plan to invade Cuba began during Eisenhower administration. His advisors were mixed. Kennedy was worried about Communism spreading to Latin America. Land invasion begins April 17, 1961. JFK in office only 3 months. Kennedy gave the goahead. But would not provide air or naval support. Cripples mission.
5.The Invasion Bay of Pigs invasion failed. Information was leaked early. New York Times reported plans a week before they were to take place. JFK denies. Air strikes failed. Downed plane lands in Key West instead of back in Nicaragua. Involvement known Castro prepared for a land attack. Invaders were captured and ransomed back to United States. $52 million in food and medical supplies Strengthened Castro s ties to the Soviet Union
6.Vienna Conference/Berlin s Significance JFK and Khruschev met in Vienna, Austria in 1961. Khrushchev demanded that the United States recognize East Germany as an independent Communist nation. Wanted U.S. to withdraw from West Berlin West Berlin was an island of freedom. Economically thriving. Many East Germans fled to West Germany through Berlin. 1 st half of 1961: 200,000 East Germans slipped to safety in West Berlin Kennedy refused to be bullied, sent troops into West Germany, built nuclear shelters, and waited for Khrushchev s next move. BERLIN BLOCKADE PART II? 7.The Berlin Wall On August 13, 1961, Khrushchev closed the crossing points between East and West Berlin. A high concrete wall was built to prevent further escapes to freedom. Kennedy sent more troops, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson visited West Berlin. Kennedy said A wall is a lot better than a war. Over time, the wall was extended and fortified. Ich bin ein Berliner
Berlin Wall
8.The Cuban Missile Crises U.S. actions in the Bay of Pigs and Berlin crises encouraged hard-line leaders in the Soviet Union. They pushed Khrushchev to be more aggressive. 8.Build up to the crisis 9. Crisis Begins The Soviets were worried about another invasion of Cuba and U.S. nuclear missiles placed in Turkey. Kennedy was worried about accusations of being soft on communism. Some Americans continued to call for invasion of Cuba after Bay of Pigs A U.S. U-2 spy plane detected Soviet surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) in Cuba. The Soviets argued that the SAMs were defensive missiles and swore that they didn t have offensive missiles in Cuba. Later U-2 flights showed that the Soviets had lied.
The Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962 10.Managing the Crisis Kennedy assembled a group of advisors, known as the ExComm, to help him plan a response. ExComm military members favored an air strike, perhaps followed by a land invasion of Cuba. Others argued for a naval blockade. Kennedy agreed with this plan. Less likely to provoke missile attack. U.S. on full alert. 550 bombers armed with nukes and 100,000 soldiers were ready in Georgia. Largest troop deployment since WWII. U.S. had nuclear weapons pointed at every major Russian city ready to destroy it. The world watched as Soviet ships carrying missile parts approached the naval blockade. They turned back. Closest we have ever come to nuclear war. JFK now adheres to Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). Nuclear war not winnable. We might destroy Russia but they would destroy us as well.
11. Effects of the Crisis Khrushchev agreed to dismantle the missiles if the United States pledged to never invade Cuba. Asked us to dismantle nukes in Turkey. We don t. Both Kennedy and Khrushchev took steps to ease tensions between their countries. They set up a hotline to allow direct communication during times of crisis. The Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed, ending atmospheric and underwater testing of nuclear weapons.
12. Kennedy s Foreign Policy Kennedy s Foreign Policy Believed in peace that did not have to be enforced with weapons of war Believed in peace for Americans and for all men and women around the world Trained and sent volunteers to Africa, Asia, and Latin America to serve for two years Peace Corps Most volunteers were young college graduates Increased goodwill toward the United States Alliance for Progress Offered billions of dollars in aid to Latin America to build schools, hospitals, roads, power plants, and low-cost housing Intended to counter communism s influence
12. Kennedy Foreign Policy Kennedy also followed the Cold War policies of his predecessors. He continued the nuclear arms buildup begun by Eisenhower. He continued to follow Truman s practice of containment. He developed the strategy of flexible response. Strengthening conventional American forces so the nation would have other options than nuclear weapons in times of crisis