kennedy & crisis
DESCRIPTION
Berlin Wall . Kennedy & Crisis. Bay of Pigs Invasion. Background Fidel Castro was in power in Cuba. Came to power after a guerrilla war, promised to restore people’s rights and freedoms Once in power, he seized private businesses and made overtures to Soviet Union. Kennedy - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
KENNEDY & CRISISBerlin Wall
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Background• Fidel Castro
was in power in Cuba.
• Came to power after a guerrilla war, promised to restore people’s rights and freedoms
• Once in power, he seized private businesses and made overtures to Soviet Union.
Kennedy • Kennedy learned
that the CIA was training troops to invade Cuba and topple Castro.
• His advisors were mixed.
• Kennedy was worried about Communism spreading to Latin America.
• Kennedy gave the go-ahead.
The Invasion• Bay of Pigs
invasion failed.• Information was
leaked early.• Air strikes failed.• Castro prepared
for a land attack.• Invaders were
captured and ransomed back to United States.
• Strengthened Castro’s ties to the Soviet Union
Kennedy & the Cold War Timeline
1960: November -- John F. Kennedy elected President
1961: April -- Bay of Pigs invasion
1961: July -- Kennedy requests 25% spending increase for military
1961: August 13 -- Berlin border closed
1961: August 17 -- Construction of Berlin Wall begins
The Berlin Crisis
Berlin’s Significance Khrushchev demanded that the
United States recognize East Germany as an independent Communist nation.
West Berlin was an island of freedom.
Many East Germans fled to West Germany through Berlin.
Kennedy refused to be bullied, sent troops into West Germany, built nuclear shelters, and waited for Khrushchev’s next move.
The Berlin Wall On August 13, 1961,
Khrushchev closed the crossing points between East and West Berlin.
A high concrete wall was built to prevent further escapes to freedom.
Kennedy sent more troops, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson visited West Berlin.
Kennedy said “A wall is a … lot better than a war.”
Over time, the wall was extended and fortified.
The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961
THE BERLIN WALL
Focus on refugees from East Germany or East Berlin to West1949-129,2451951- 165,6481953- 331,3901955- 252,8701957- 261,6221959- 143,917
1961- 207,0261962- 21,3561963- 42,6321964- 41,876
• In an attempt to escape and gain access to West Berlin a large network of tunnels were built.
• They were dug mostly by college students but many people used them. The first known successful tunnel was dug in a grave yard.
• This tunnel was found after a women accidentally dropped into the tunnel and left her baby in a carriage on top.
• The tunnel was then sealed off.
• The most successful tunnel was in a basement of a house at 60 Westerstrasse.
• There were 29 people freed from this location alone.
Flying Over the Wall The Wetzel’s and Strelczyk’s escape through ingenuity. Bought cloth and bed sheets to make a balloon. 4 propane tanks. Floated into West Berlin. Due to this attempt the purchase of light weight cloth was strictly controlled.
Did Kennedy really mind the wall?“A wall is better than a war”.5000 attempted escape100 died
Results Important results for Berlin, Germany
and the Cold War Berlin was divided, free access ended
between East and West, many families split, many attempted to escape to the West-between 1961 and 1989.
200 (estimated) people died trying to cross the Berlin Wall
Results cont’d Kennedy accepted the Soviet action. He refused
to use US troops to pull down the wall to avoid war.
Kennedy looked weak but West turned it into propaganda – why if Communism was so attractive was a wall needed?
1963 – Kennedy visited West Berlin – pledged continued support – ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ (I am a Berliner) – famous speech
Khrushchev lost face by failing to remove the West from Berlin