JFK and Cold War: Election, Policies, and Cuba Crisis

1. KENNEDY AND THE COLD WAR CHAPTER 28, SECTION 1

2. MAJOR DATES • 1959: Castro seizes power in Cuba • 1960: Kennedy elected President • 1961: Bay of Pigs Invasion (April) Berlin Wall Constructed (Oct.) • 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct.) • 1963: Limited Test Ban Treaty

3. ELECTION OF 1960 • Candidates? • Republican: Richard M. Nixon • Democrat: John F. Kennedy • Major Issues: • Was the U.S. losing the Cold War? • Economic Recession • Is America “adrift”? • What did “adrift” mean? • Important campaign events / traits • Both candidates were young • Nixon: 46 • Kennedy: 43 • Kennedy is Catholic; So what?

4. ELECTION OF 1960 • Important events / traits (cont’d.) • 1st televised presidential debate, EVER • 70 million viewers • Civil Rights events: • Martin Luther King arrested in Atlanta • So What? JFK supports MLK • Result? • Very Close election • Kennedy wins by 119,000 votes • Why? What helped Kennedy win? • TV • Civil Rights • ***ANYTHING ELSE?

5. ELECTION OF 1960 • JFK and LBJ NIXON and LODGE

6. JFK & NIXON IN STUDIO

7. JFK & NIXON Before TV Debate

8. 1960 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

9. The JFK Administration • What were Kennedy’s goals? • To confront / combat Soviet & communist expansionism • Re-define U.S. military policy: • Result? Flexible Response • Define: Change U.S. military policy from nuclear-dominated to combination of nuclear and conventional / covert capability • Effect? • Increased defense spending • New warfare methods developed; Examples? • “Counterinsurgency” • Special Operations Units: • Ex. US Army Green Berets

10. The JFK Administration • Other Goals? • JFK wants to promote Civil Rights • JFK wants to attack / reduce poverty • Where? • IN THE U.S. • IN THE “THIRD WORLD” • DEFINE: THIRD WORLD • POSSIBLE SOLUTION: The Peace Corps • Why? • In U.S.: To create more equality • In 3rd World: To make communism less appealing to people in those nations

11. CUBA • Problems in Cuba: • 1959: Cuban Dictator, Batista, overthrown by Fidel Castro • Castro promises democracy for Cubans • U.S. reaction: • U.S. recognizes Castro’s gov’t. • U.S. is suspicious • Why is U.S. suspicious of Castro? • Castro gov’t. seizes foreign-owned businesses • Examples? • Oil Refineries • Commercial farms • 75% of Cuban farmland had been owned by U.S. sugar companies • U.S. response? Put trade restrictions on Cuba • Cuban response? Look to Soviets for aid

12. CUBA (cont’d.) • Problems (cont’d.) • Cuban population divided by Castro’s actions: • 90% support Castro & Revolutionaries • 10% opposed to Castro ; go into exile* • *Where do most Cuban exiles go? • Cuba’s gov’t. becomes Communist • Effect? • Cuba pulled into Cold War • U.S. – Soviet confrontation over Cuba is likely

13. Fidel Castro & Che Guevara

14. CASTRO ON LIFEMAGAZINE COVER, JANUARY, 1959

15. Che Guevara, 1960

16. CHE GUEVARA, TIME MAGAZINE COVER, 1963

17. MAD MAGAZINE, OCTOBER, 1963

18. THE BAY OF PIGS • When? April, 1961 • Where? Cuba • What? • CIA operation to overthrow Castro • 1400 Anti-Castro exiles trained by CIA to invade & overthrow Castro • JFK approved plan • Did What? • Invasion force is not given U.S. military support • Invasion is a complete failure • Effect? • Castro & his gov’t. appear stronger to world • U.S. & JFK appear weak / incompetent / untrustworthy to world • What does this make the Soviets think?

19. THE BAY OF PIGS, CUBA, 1961

20. THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS • When? October, 1962 • What? • Confrontation / standoff between communists (USSR & Cuba) and U.S. • Use of nuclear weapons was threatened by both sides • Causes? • 1962: Soviets lend / place nuclear missiles in Cuba • Missiles discovered by U-2 flights • Most major U.S. cities w/in 15 min. attack range • JFK announces U.S. response: • U.S. will retaliate w/ nuclear weapons if Cuban missiles used • U.S. will not allow more Soviet weapons into Cuba

26. THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS • U.S. Actions: • U.S. prepares invasion force for possible assault on Cuba • U.S. Navy BLOCKADES Cuba • Nothing gets in, or out, of Cuba • Problem? What will happen if the Soviets try to break through the blockade? • What was going on here? Brinkmanship • What happens? • Soviet ships approach Cuba • U.S. Navy is waiting • Soviet ships stop - turn around: war is avoided • “We were eyeball to eyeball, and the other fellow just blinked.” • DEAN RUSK, SECRETARY OF STATE

27. U.S. Land-Based Missile, 1962

28. Life Magazine Nov., 1962

29. AFTERMATH • Results of Cuban Missile Crisis: • Soviets agree to remove missiles from Cuba • U.S. agrees to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey (near Soviet border) • U.S. guarantees not to invade Cuba • Kruschev is criticized for being too soft • JFK criticized for missing opportunity to get rid of Castro • Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis? • Why do you think so?

30. BERLIN (Again) • Problem? • Large numbers of people defect from East to West Berlin • DEFINE: “DEFECT” • Embarrassment to Soviets • What Happens? • Soviets threatens to blockade Berlin (again) • Soviets & E. Germans build Berlin Wall • U.S. has superior airpower, so Soviets can’t blockade Berlin • Wall becomes symbol of communist oppression • Results? • JFK & Kruschev establish “Hot Line” • US & Soviets sign Limited Test Ban Treaty

33. BERLIN WALL PLAN

35. BERLIN WALL CROSSINGS

36. Berlin Wall, 1961 Berlin Wall, 1991