Kennedy and the cold war

John F. Kennedy Remembered in many ways

Election of 1960 Closest Presidential election in over 70 years John F. Kennedy: Young, energetic, and a great speaker Senator from Massachusetts Democrat, Catholic Popular among African Americans Richard M. Nixon Vice President From California Not skirting civil rights issues Experience

Elec. of 1960 (cont.) http://www.livingroom candidate.org/commer cials/1960 http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=hH6nQhss 4Yc&feature=related http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=x2Jr03 ADQmk http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=JLdA1i kkoEc

Cold War Strategies Fight communism in Latin America JFK 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 America Make up “missile gap” w/ USSR Aid to developing nations/ Peace Corps Look back @ imperialism of T. Roosevelt and American policies toward Latin America

The Cuba Problem Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro Batista gov’t was corrupt; US doesn’t mind the overthrow at first Dealing w/ communists won’t work Fidel Castro Major communist reforms put into place w/ Soviet help Kennedy’s Problem: Eisenhower already set up to invade Castro and set up pro- American government

Bay of Pigs Invasion Eisenhower and Nixon plan overthrow of Castro for months Loss of election didn’t stop CIA from pushing Kennedy into action CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles were ill-prepared and the entire attack was mishandled Only 300 survived Kennedy and US look bad Castro 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 Crisis The Soviets now had access to a country that posed a great threat to US security US implemented a naval blockade to keep Soviet help out. US removed missiles in Turkey, USSR took missiles from Cuba Opened discussion b/w USA and USSR Nikita Krushchev took a lot of heat from fellow Soviets as being perceived as weak; Kennedy looked calm and pragmatic

The Berlin Crisis Krushchev 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