CHAPTER 23.2 JFK AND THE COLD WAR

KENNEDY CONFRONTS GLOBAL CHALLENGES AS KENNEDY ENTERED THE WHITE HOUSE, THE NATION’S RIVALRY BETWEEN THE SOVIET UNION DEEPENED.

A MORE FLEXIBLE RESPONSE KENNEDY FELT THAT EISENHOWER HAD RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS. KENNEDY SUPPORTED A “FLEXIBLE RESPONSE” WHERE HE ASKED FOR A BUILDUP OF CONVENTIONAL TROOPS AND WEAPONS.

A MORE FLEXIBLE RESPONSE KENNEDY ALSO SUPPORTED THE SPECIAL FORCES, A SMALL ARMY UNIT ESTABLISHED IN THE 1950’S TO WAGE GUERRILLA WARFARE.

AID TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO IMPROVE LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS, KENNEDY PROPOSED THE ALLIANCE FOR PROGRESS, A SERIES OF COOPERATIVE AID PROJECTS WITH LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS.

AID TO OTHER COUNTRIES OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD, $20 BILLION WAS PROMISED TO AID LATIN AMERICA. IN CHILE, COLUMBIA, VENEZUELA, AND THE CENTRAL AMERICAN REPUBLICS, REAL REFORM TOOK PLACE.

AID TO OTHER COUNTRIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES, THE GOVERNING RULERS USED THE MONEY TO REMAIN IN POWER.

THE PEACE CORPS THE PEACE CORPS, CREATED TO HELP LESS DEVELOPED NATIONS FIGHT POVERTY, TRAINED YOUNG AMERICANS TO SPEND TWO YEARS ASSISTING IN A COUNTRY. PEACE CORPS IS STILL ACTIVE TODAY AND HAS BECOME ONE OF KENNEDY’S MOST IMPORTANT AND WITHSTANDING LEGACIES.

THE COLD WAR MOVES INTO SPACE DURING THIS TIME OF INCREASED TENSION BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE SOVIET UNION, THE TWO COUNTRIES ENGAGED IN A SPACE RACE.

THE COLD WAR MOVES INTO SPACE KENNEDY WANTED AMERICANS TO BE THE FIRST TO REACH THE MOON. ON JULY 20, 1969, NEIL ARMSTRONG BECAME THE FIRST HUMAN BEING TO WALK ON THE MOON.

CRISES OF THE COLD WAR PRESIDENT KENNEDY’S EFFORTS TO COMBAT COMMUNIST INFLUENCE IN OTHER COUNTRIES LED TO SOME OF THE MOST INTENSE CRISES OF THE COLD WAR.

THE BAY OF PIGS CUBA AND ITS LEADER, FIDEL CASTRO, BEGAN FORMING AN ALLIANCE WITH THE SOVIET UNION AND ITS LEADER, NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV.

THE BAY OF PIGS DURING EISENHOWER’S PRESIDENCY, THE CIA HAD SECRETLY TRAINED AND ARMED CUBAN EXILES KNOWN AS LA BRIGADA. ON APRIL, 17, 1961, 1400 ARMED CUBAN EXILES LANDED AT THE BAY OF PIGS ON THE SOUTH COAST OF CUBA.

BAY OF PIGS DISASTER STRUCK AS KENNEDY CANCELLED AIR SUPPORT FOR THE EXILES IN ORDER TO KEEP U.S. INVOLVEMENT A SECRET. MOST OF LA BRIGADA WERE EITHER KILLED OR CAPTURED BY CASTRO’S ARMY.

THE BERLIN WALL GOES UP AFTER MEETING WITH SOVIET LEADER NIKITA KRUSHCHEV, KENNEDY REFUSED TO RECOGNIZE EAST GERMANY OR TO HAVE THE U.S. ALONG WITH GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE WITHDRAW FROM BERLIN.

THE BERLIN WALL GOES UP THE SOVIET LEADER RETALIATED BY CONSTRUCTING A WALL THROUGH BERLIN , STOPPING MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE SOVIET SECTOR AND THE REST OF THE CITY.

THE BERLIN WALL GOES UP FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS, THE BERLIN WALL SYMBOLIZED THE COLD WAR DIVISION BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.

THE CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS DURING THE SUMMER OF 1962, AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES DISCOVERED, THAT SOVIET TECHNICIANS AND EQUIPMENT ARRIVED IN CUBA.

THE CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS PHOTOGRAPHS PROVED THAT THE SOVIETS PLACED LONG RANGE MISSLES IN CUBA. KENNEDY ORDERED A NAVAL BLOCKADE TO STOP THE SOVIETS FROM DELIVERING MORE MISSLES.

THE CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS AS SOVIET SHIPS HEADED TOWARD THE BLOCKADE, AMERICANS BRACED FOR WAR. NEITHER KENNEDY NOR KRUSHCHEV WANTED NUCLEAR WAR.

THE CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS KENNEDY AGREED NOT TO INVADE CUBA AND TO REMOVE MISSLES IN TURKEY. THE SOVIETS AGREED TO REMOVE MISSLES IN CUBA.

THE IMPACT OF THE CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS THE CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS, AS IT BECAME KNOWN, BROUGHT THE WORLD TO THE EDGE OF NUCLEAR WAR. BOTH SIDES AGREED TO WORK OUT A PLAN TO EASE TENSION.

THE IMPACT OF THE CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS IN 1963, THE U.S. AND THE SOVIET UNION AGREED TO A TREATY BANNING THE TESTING OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

THE IMPACT OF THE CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS THE MISSLE CRISIS LED TO KRUSHCHEV’S FALL FROM POWER, AND NEW SOVIET LEADERSHIP WAS LESS INTERESTED IN REACHING AGREEMENTS WITH THE WEST.

THE IMPACT OF THE CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS THE RESULT WAS A HUGE SOVIET ARMS BUILDUP.

THE DEATH OF A PRESIDENT ON NOVEMBER 22, 1963, J.F.K. WAS SHOT TWICE WHILE RIDING IN A PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCADE. HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD A SHORT TIME LATER.

THE DEATH OF A PRESIDENT LEE HARVEY OSWALD, A MARXIST, WAS ACCUSED OF KILLING KENNEDY AND WAS SHOT AND KILLED HIMSELF TWO DAYS LATER BY JACK RUBY.

THE DEATH OF A PRESIDENT IT WAS SUSPECTED THAT RUBY KILLED OSWALD TO PROTECT OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE MURDER. CHIEF JUSTICE WARREN CONCLUDED OSWALD ACTED ALONE.

THE DEATH OF A PRESIDENT THE REPORT OF THE WARREN COMMISSION LEFT A FEW QUESTIONS UNANSWERED, AND A CONSPIRACY THEORY HAS PERSISTED, ALTHOUGH NONE HAS GAINED WIDE ACCEPTANCE.

THE DEATH OF A PRESIDENT KENNEDY’S SUCCESSOR, LYNDON JOHNSON, SET OUT TO IMPLEMENT MANY OF KENNEDY’S PROGRAMS.