Chp 20.1 Kennedy and the Cold War

1. Chp 20.1 Kennedy and the Cold War

2. QuickwriteWhat are the qualities of effective leaders? • How can a leader motivate and influence the public? • What skills are needed to persuade legislators? • What enables a leader to respond to crises?

3. September 26 1960 First of four televised debates between presidential candidates Candidates appealed directly to the voters. Debates could be played over and over TV began to lessen the value of the political party structure. Political campaigns tapped into the power of television to gain an advantage. “That night, image replaced the printed word as the natural language of politics.” Russell Baker In your notes, copy this quote and explain what you think Mr. Baker meant. The Kennedy Nixon Debates

4. What effect do you think the televised debate would have on American politics? Voters would begin making decisions based on a candidate’s perceived image rather than on his or her stand on the issues. The Election of 1960

5. What factors help explain the public’s fascination with the Kennedys? The press portrayed the Kennedys as a young, attractive, energetic, and stylish couple attention to the arts and culture young children Kennedy’s eloquence Television An admiring press Kennedy’s war hero status The Camelot Years

6. What was the goal of the doctrine of flexible response? “The Kennedy administration worried that [the] reliance on nuclear weapons gave us no way to respond to large nonnuclear attacks without committing suicide….We decided to broaden the range of options by strengthening and modernizing the military’s ability to fight a nonnuclear war.” Robert McNamara To allow the Unites States to fight limited wars around the world while maintaining a nuclear balance of power with the Soviets. Created the Special Forces Increased defense spending in or to boost convention military forces such as troops, ships, and artillery. A New Military Policy

7. March 1960 Eisenhower gives the CIA permission to secretly train Cuban exiles for an invasion of Cuba April 17, 1961, 1,300 – 1,500 exiles landed on Cuba’s southern coast at the Bay of Pigs Air strike failed to knock out Cuban air force Advanced forces never landed Main group faced 25,000 Cuban troops +Soviet tanks + jet aircraft US Ambassador to the UN, Adlai Stevenson, lied to the General assembly, saying the US was not involved. Truth came out Kennedy negotiated for release of surviving commandos $53 million in food and medical supplies. The Bay of Pigs Invasion

8. What were the consequences of the failed invasion for the United States? Failure to oust Castro Loss of world prestige Embarrassment for JFK Ransom for captured commandos Crisis Over Cuba

9. Castro/Cuba & Khrushchev/Soviet Union allies. Summer 1962 – Increasing numbers of Soviet weapons flow into Cuba. October 14 – U.S. spy planes photograph nuclear missile sites in Cuba. Some launch ready and aimed at U.S. October 22 – Kennedy tells the nation of his intention to halt the missile buildup October 24 – Kennedy implements a naval “quarantine” of Cuba, blocking Soviet ships from reaching the island. October 25 – Soviet ships approaching Cuba come to a halt. October 28 – Khrushchev announces plan to remove missiles from Cuba. US removes missiles from Turkey. Cuban Missile Crisis

10. What were the results of the Cuban Missile Crisis? Kennedy staved off war Khrushchev's prestige tarnished Many Cuban exiles blamed Democrats for “losing Cuba: and switched allegiance to GOP Castro limited exiles’ access to Cuba Cuban Missile Crisis

11. Crisis Over Berlin

12. What led Khrushchev to erect the Berlin Wall? How did Berlin’s location present security problems for East Germany? Communists wanted to stop the flow of East German refugees into West Berlin and further isolate the thriving city. Needed government permission to pass from East to West. In 28 years, ~5,000 people succeeded in fleeing. ~200 died trying to cross Most of the dead were shot by GDR border guards. Crisis Over Berlin

13. Crisis Over Berlin “Ich bin ein Berliner” JF Kennedy, 1963, West Berlin What was the president’s message to the people of West Berlin?