The 1960 Election Issues left over from Eisenhower: Sputnik I
and Laika U2 incident Race Issues (Montgomery Bus Boycott,
Birmingham, Selma, etc.) And 22 nd Amendment didnt let Eisenhower
run again
Slide 3
The Candidates JFK and Nixon square off for the presidency Both
are young (JFK 1917, Nixon - 1913) Both served in the Navy in WWII
Both elected in 1946 and JFK to the Senate in 1950 Both
anti-Communist
Slide 4
Senator JOHN F. KENNEDY (D) Came from a wealthy Massachusetts
family Roman Catholic (concerned Protestants) Young and Charismatic
(43) Advocated a stronger stance towards Soviets Emphasized
stronger military and science programs Played on the plight of the
poor & African- Americans
Slide 5
Assets Kennedys Family
Slide 6
Problems for Kennedy His family wealthy father an appeaser in
WWII Money supports him Daddy had money in Hollywood, Whiskey,
stock market, manager of a shipyard His age (43) says his energy is
a plus but experience His faith Irish Catholic; said he would be a
president who is Catholic not a Catholic president
Slide 7
Vice President RICHARD NIXON (R) Came from a modest, working
class California family Raised a Quaker (no drinking, dancing,
swearingpeople thought he was too conservative) Linked to the
Eisenhower administration Seen as resistant to change and uncool in
the new times)
Slide 8
The Sweaty Debates Mr. Miser First televised debates JFK wins
the image war Tanned and makeup Nixon wins among those who listened
on radio Looked sick and pale
Slide 9
The Civil Rights Issue As MLK in jail in Birmingham (1956 after
bus boycott) JFK sends Robert F. Kennedy to help MLK Nixon worked
behind the scenes (felt it was inappropriate to act) JFK wins the
black vote
Slide 10
The Actual Election 68,835,000 votes cast JFK wins by 119,000
Hold on a minute Did Chicago mob throw the election? Nixon refuses
to challenge the outcome
Slide 11
Kennedy = 49.7%; Nixon = 49.6%
Slide 12
The Inauguration Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, Ask
What you Can Do For Your Country!!!
Slide 13
A Different Kind of White House Informal White House Advisors
Young, well-educated, experts (friends not government people)
Cabinet More experienced, well versed in the history of the
government
Slide 14
New Cold War Strategies Claimed Eisenhower allowed a missile
gap to happen and that USSR was winning Eisenhower cautioned
against militarism as the tail that wags the dog Also claimed
Eisenhower had relied on nuclear forces to much Conventional forces
were unprepared
Slide 15
JFKs Flexible Response Move away from massive retaliation and
brinksmanship Build up special forces and conventional weapons to
fight non- nuclear wars and provide non-nuclear deterrent Is war
more likely?
Slide 16
Dealing with more Image Issues Soviets claim to Asia, India,
South America, and Africa that capitalism caused their poverty The
US is the CAPTALIST state
Slide 17
Americas Soft Power JFK wanted to improve US image in 3 rd
World THIRD WORLD countries that remained non- aligned with either
NATO (First World) or the Communist Bloc (Second World) Peace Corps
1961 worked Sent young Americans to do economic and social
development work (2-year tours) Alliance for Progress made to
change Soviet and Cuban influence In essence, Marshall Plan for
Latin America $20 billion in assistance and asked Latin Americans
govts to provide $80 billion in investment Didnt work
Slide 18
The Post War Divide At Potsdam, Truman, Stalin, and Attlee set
out the principles of the Allied Control Council Germanys complete
disarmament and demilitarization Destruction of war potential Rigid
control of industry Decentralization of the political and economic
structure Germany was divided into four economic zones that were
supposed to work together to eventually reunite the country of
Germany
Slide 19
The Trouble with Berlin Berlin sat in the middle of Eastern
Germany, 200 miles from the East and West Germany border It became
a place for Eastern Germans to flee to in order to find work or
even to make it to West Germany Of the two Berlins, West was more
prosperous, more economically strong
Slide 20
The Monster 13 August 1961 shock workers shut off the border
between East and West Berlin using barbed wire 16 Aug the barbed
wire was replaced by concrete The final wall was 4 m (13 ft) high
and 111 m (364 ft) long 300 watch towers with orders to shoot on
sight 190 people were killed on the eastern side of the Wall
Slide 21
Get along with the voicesor get out
Slide 22
Slide 23
Life under Castro the real reason the US is not too fond of him
1960 Castro nationalized all US- businesses Oil refineries,
factories, and casinos US enacted embargo
Slide 24
Dealing with a Communist Cuba (hintthey dont do it well) CIA
plans attempts on Castros life Ex: Exploding cigars, fungal
infected diving suits, mafia hits, ballpoint hypodermic syringe,
the list goes on) Begs the question: Was Cuba behind the JFK
assassination?
Slide 25
CIA Invasion Cuban exiles trained by CIA to invade Cuba and
overthrow Castro US would then announce its support and aid the
rebels JFK gives the go ahead
Slide 26
Bay of Pigs Invasion (like I said, not well) April 1961 1,400
Cuban exiles trained by the CIA landed near the Bay of Pigs to
overthrow Castro Old US bombers piloted by Cuban exiles used to
destroy Cubas air force Castro alerted by air strikes and exiles
given no more air support 1,300 were captured and in 1962 Castro
freed them for medical supplies and baby food (worth $52
million)
Slide 27
Kennedys Greatest Failure
Slide 28
Results of Bay of Pigs Castro strengthens ties to Khrushchev
for protection Communism inches closer to the US mainland
Slide 29
Cuban Missile Crisis (theyre like children really..) Aug 1962
the first rumors about Soviet missiles in Cuba began to surface in
the US press Soviet ambassadors denied the missiles 14 Oct 1962 U-2
spy planes find the missiles
Slide 30
Kennedy knew they could not invade Cuba but needed to get rid
of the missiles without any concessions Decided to blockade Cuba
USSR said that was illegal and that they would test it USSR sent
ships toward the blockade but turned back at the last moment
Khrushchev sent a letter to Kennedy appealing to reason and trust
to prevent a war The Tensions Continue to Rise
Slide 31
Yay! Something done right! Global thermal nuclear war averted
Nukes taken out of Cuba in exchange for the removal of the Turkey
nukes US public thinks JFK won
Slide 32
Dtente Policy of Brezhnev Relaxation of cold war tensions Step
back from war A Hot Line was installed Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
(1963) ended above ground testing