KENNEDY AND THE COLD WAR

John F. KennedyRemembered in many

ways

Election of 1960Closest Presidential election in over 70

yearsJohn F. Kennedy:

Young, energetic, and a great speakerSenator from MassachusettsDemocrat, CatholicPopular among African Americans

Richard M. NixonVice PresidentFrom CaliforniaNot skirting civil rights issuesExperience

Elec. of 1960 (cont.)http://www.livingro

omcandidate.org/commercials/1960

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH6nQhss4Yc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2Jr03ADQmk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLdA1ikkoEc

Cold War StrategiesJFK took different approach than Eisenhower

Stay away from huge military forces Use smaller elites forces along w/ CIA for

“flexible response” to military engagement

Fight communism in Latin AmericaMake up “missile gap” w/ USSR

Aid to developing nations/ Peace CorpsLook back @ imperialism of T. Roosevelt and

American policies toward Latin America

The Cuba Problem

Cuban RevolutionBatista gov’t was corrupt; US doesn’t

mind the overthrow at firstDealing w/ communists won’t work

Fidel CastroMajor communist reforms put into

place w/ Soviet helpKennedy’s Problem: Eisenhower

already set up to invade Castro and set up pro-American government

Bay of Pigs InvasionEisenhower and Nixon plan overthrow of

Castro for monthsLoss of election didn’t stop CIA from pushing

Kennedy into actionCIA-trained force of Cuban exiles were ill-

prepared and the entire attack was mishandledOnly 300 survived

Kennedy and US look badCastro grows in stature

Bay of Pigs invasion"The United States has no right to meddle

in our domestic affairs. We do not speak English and we do not chew gum. We have a different tradition, a different culture, our own way of thinking. We have no borders with anybody. Our frontier is the sea, very clearly defined.”Fidel Castro

Cuban Missile CrisisThe Soviets now had access to a country

that posed a great threat to US securityUS implemented a naval blockade to keep

Soviet help out.US removed missiles in Turkey, USSR took

missiles from CubaOpened discussion b/w USA and USSRNikita Krushchev took a lot of heat from

fellow Soviets as being perceived as weak; Kennedy looked calm and pragmatic

The Berlin CrisisKrushchev long

wanted to control all of Berlin

Kennedy saw it as a Soviet threat and aggression, but would stand behind out Allies

Berlin wall is constructed as a symbol of the divide b/w the Soviets and the Western world