Download Ch 27-1 Kennedy and the Cold War

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) 35th 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) 36th 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
• 1st 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
st
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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
4.Kennedy
• Fidel Castro was in power • Kennedy learned during
1960 campaign that the CIA
in Cuba.
was training troops to
• Came to power after a
invade Cuba and topple
guerrilla war, promised to
Castro.
restore people’s rights and
• Plan to invade Cuba began
freedoms
during Eisenhower
• Once in power, he seized
administration.
private businesses and
• His advisors were mixed.
made overtures to Soviet
Union.
• Kennedy was worried about
Communism spreading to
• U.S. cut off economic and
Latin America.
diplomatic ties under
Eisenhower
• 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
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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.
1st 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?
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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 • The Soviets were worried about another invasion of
up to
Cuba and U.S. nuclear missiles placed in Turkey.
the
crisis • 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.
9.
Crisis
Begins • 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
• Believed in peace that did not have to be enforced
with weapons of war
Kennedy’s
Foreign
• Believed in peace for Americans and for all men and
Policy
women around the world
• Trained and sent volunteers to Africa, Asia, and Latin
America to serve for two years
Peace
Corps
Alliance
for
Progress
• Most volunteers were young college graduates
• Increased goodwill toward the United States
• 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