Kennedy & the Cold War

Election of 1960Frustrations with Eisenhower mounted

USSR launched SputnikU-2 incidentCuba joining with Soviet Union

ARE WE LOSING THE COLD WAR?DemocratsJohn F. Kennedy:

MA Senator (43 yrs. old)

How did he win?TV Civil Rights

Issues

RepublicansRichard M.

Nixon: Ike’s VP

Senator of Massachusetts43 years old

2nd youngest President“Handsome & charismatic”Comes from wealthy familyRoman CatholicPulitzer Prize winnerVP: Lyndon B. Johnson

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

The KennedysAmerica became

fascinated by the new first family

Children: John and Caroline play in the Oval Office

Right: John with wife Jackie

Objective 5: Describe and analyze the foreign policy during the Kennedy Presidency

Hit the Ground RunningSurrounded himself with the

best and brightest Appointed brother (Robert

Kennedy) Attorney GeneralEstablished new military

policyFlexible response:

strengthen military, modernize to fight nonnuclear war

Crisis Over CubaCuba : Located 90 miles off coast of FloridaEisenhower cut relations with new Cuban

revolutionary leader Fidel Castro who openly declared himself a Communist & welcomed Soviet Union aid

Fidel CastroGained power in 1959 after leading a

guerilla war against dictator Fulgencio Batista

Broke up commercialized farms (controlled by American companies)

Communist dictator

Kennedy Administration & the Cold War1. Log into your tablets and go to my file manager

on the WDBQ high school website. 2. Click Cold War3. Open Kennedy Administration Readings

BAY OF PIGSMar 1960: Eisenhower gave permission to plan

CIA trained Cuban exiles for invasion

Kennedy approved final go ahead for invasion

April 17, 1961: 1300-1500 Cuban exiles (supported by U.S. military) landed on the island’s southern coast

~ Bahia de Cochinos = BAY OF PIGS

Exiles met with 25,000 Cuban troops backed by Soviet Union

Complete Disaster~ 120 killed in combat~1200 captured

100s being executed laterComplete embarrassment for JFK who took full responsibility for invasion

Castro celebrated “defeat of NorthAmerican mercenaries”

Kennedy will pay $53 mil for captives

Crisis in BerlinPrior to Cuban missile crisis Khrushchev &

Kennedy battled it out in GermanyKennedy refused to give up West Berlin (Must Stop Spread of Communism)

Led to building of the Berlin Wall: concrete wall topped with barbed wire dividing East and West Germany

Soviets had to keep people from leaving East Berlin

Cuban Missile CrisisPowerful alliance built between Castro &

KhrushchevSoviets will defend Cuba with Soviet arms

Summer 1962 – Soviet increased # of weapons (including nukes) sent to Cuba

0ct 14, 1962 : U-2 pilot, Heyser, photographed Soviet missile bases n Cuba (Ready to launch)

Cuban Missile CrisisOctober 22: Kennedy addresses nation about

pending situation “

U.S. WILL”NOT TOLERATE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN CUBA” –

KennedyOctober 24: Kennedy implements naval

“quarantine” of CubaNo Soviet ships can reach Cuba

October 25, 1962: Soviet ships approaching Cuba come to Halt

October 28: Khrushchev announces removal of missiles from CubaIf U.S. will not invade CubaSecretly agreed to remove missiles from Turkey

Aftermath Soviet Union : Khrushchev’s reputation severally damaged United States: Kennedy was criticized for not doing enough to stop this

from even happening & “losing Cuba” Cuba: Castro closed Cuba’s doors

Relationship Timeline:1903:U.S. leased Guantanamo Bay from Cuba2009: Obama has stated he is open to communication with Cuba

-reversed some of the restrictions on remittances and travel set by his predecessor, George W. Bush.2012: Raúl Castro “Cuba is open to hold talks with U.S.”

- lift exit Visa limits on Cubans2014:U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announce the restoration of full diplomatic tiesJanuary 2015:New travel and trade regulations were enacted that enable U.S. travelers to visit Cuba without first obtaining a government license.

http://www.cfr.org/cuba/us-cuba-relations/p11113