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Kennedy's Legacy: Foreign Policy & National Defense

Explore Kennedy's significant foreign policy initiatives, including a budget increase for new nuclear missiles, nuclear submarines, and the expansion of the Armed Forces. Delve into the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Crisis, and Kennedy's commitment to space exploration. Uncover his efforts to address poverty and civil rights issues, such as the creation of the Peace Corps and economic boosts.

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Kennedy's Legacy: Foreign Policy & National Defense

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  1. Unit 5: KENNEDY’S LEGACY

  2. Foreign Policy & National Defense • 20% budget increase for: • New Nuclear Missiles • Nuclear Submarines • Expansion of the Armed Forces – Creation of the Special Forcesa.k.a “Green Berets” Flexible armed forces

  3. Bay of Pigs InvasionApril 17th ,1961 • An unsuccessful attack on Cuba • Designed to over-throw the government of Fidel • Cuban refugees trained in U.S. Guatemala to fight Fidel • CIA advised Kennedy to attack • Failure and embarrassment

  4. The Cuban Missile Crisis Cools Off • Khrushchev lost prestige • Kennedy was criticized for not communicating with Khrushchev: • Brinkmanship • Had Kennedy given up a chance to take over Cuba?

  5. The Berlin Crisis • Kennedy set the tone with Khrushchev:containment of communism. • 11 years since the Berlin Air Lift- 3 million people from the east fled. • Khrushchev decided to keep people from fleeing: Berlin Wall on August 13th 1961 • It stood for 28 years and 200 people eventually died trying to cross over

  6. Avoiding Tensions • JFK & Khrushchev • lack of communication and split decisions • Agreed to create a hot-line (ex. the Bat Phone) Communication was key to avoiding a crisis

  7. New Frontier • Called for Americans to be “new pioneersand explore… • 1. science and space,… • 2. pockets of ignorance and prejudice • 3. unanswered questions of poverty and surplus.” • These ideas drove JFK’s decisions & presidency, though it wasn’t easy • Congress rarely supported him as it was full of Republicans & Southern Democrats

  8. Space Program • Soviets win again – April 12th 1961 Yuri Gagarin becomes the 1st human in space • JFK took that challenge: • NASA program would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade • Within a month: • 1. Man in space • 2. 1st TV satellite later that year Alan Shepard TELSTAR Satellite Yuri Gagarin

  9. International Aid • JFK created the Peace Corps = volunteer assistance to work with the developing nations of Asia, Africa, & Latin America • Mostly made up of College students • By 1968 35,000 volunteers were in over 60 nations

  10. Economics & Civil Rights • Recession had gripped the nation as unemployment was at 6% - Highest since WWII • Deficit spending • Congress Boosted: 1. Minimum Wage = $1.25 an hour 2. Unemployment Insurance extended

  11. Economic & Civil Rights BoostsContinued… • Americas poverty • by Michael Harrington’s book “The Other America” • 50 million Americans scraped by on less than $1,000 a year • By 1963 Kennedy had presented to congress 1. civil rights bill 2. proposal to cut taxes by over $10 billion

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