American History Chapter 17 Section 2

Flexible Response Kennedy tried to reduce the threat of nuclear war and contain communism. He wanted the option of a flexible response, in which conventional troops and weapons could be used to contain communism. He expanded the Special Forces. This army unit used guerilla warfare in limited conflicts.

Latin America Kennedy also tried to renew diplomatic focus with Latin America. Many governments there were controlled by the wealthy few. Most of the people lived in poverty. In some countries, leftist groups tried to overthrow their governments.

Alliance for Progress To improve conditions in Latin America, Kennedy proposed an Alliance for Progress. This was a series of aid projects in which the United States promised $20 billion to help these countries. The projects set up better schools, housing, and health care.

Peace Corps Peace Corp was established by Executive Order 10924, issued by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961 The Peace Corps is an organization that sent young Americans to perform humanitarian services in less-developed nations.

Space Race The United States and the Soviet Union also competed in a space race in which both superpowers attempted to dominate space technology. In 1961 the Soviets launched the first person into space (Yuri Gagarin).

Landing on the Moon A few weeks later, Kennedy made a speech in which he announced the goal of landing a man on the moon before the end of the decade. JFK does not live to see it but in July 1969, the United States achieved this goal by landing on the lunar surface with the Apollo 11 Mission.

Castro and Cuba President Kennedy faced several crises in the Cold War. The first crisis started when Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba in Castro established ties with the Soviet Union. He also took over American and other foreign-owned businesses located in Cuba.

Eisenhower’s Response President Eisenhower, along with many Americans believed that the Soviets wanted to use Cuba as a base to spread communism in the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, Eisenhower authorized the CIA to arm Cuban exiles and train them to invade Cuba, hoping that the invasion would start an uprising.

Bay of Pigs Invasion When he became president, Kennedy approved the plan. On April 17, 1961, Cuban exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs. Their boats ran aground, and the invasion was unsuccessful. The expected uprising never happened. Most of the invaders were captured or killed. The Bay of Pigs failure made the United States look weak.

Berlin Kennedy faced another problem after the failed invasion. He met with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in Austria in June Khrushchev wanted to keep Germans from leaving Communist East Germany and fleeing to West Berlin. He demanded that Western powers leave Berlin.

Berlin Wall When Kennedy refused, the Soviets built the Berlin Wall. It was guarded by armed soldiers who shot at people attempting to escape. The wall separated East Berlin from West Berlin for nearly 30 years.

Missiles in Cuba In 1962 the United States learned that Soviet workers and equipment had arrived in Cuba. On October 22, 1962, Kennedy told Americans that photos taken by spy planes showed that the Soviets had placed missiles in Cuba.

Blockade (Quarantine Zone) JFK believed that the weapons threatened the United States. He then ordered a naval blockade to stop more missiles from being delivered to Cuba. However, the Soviets continued to work on the missile sites.

Agreement between the U.S. and Soviet Union The leaders of the two countries began secret talks. Both nations reached an agreement on October 28. The United States publicly agreed not to attack Cuba and privately agreed to remove its own missiles from Turkey. The Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba. The Cuban missile crisis brought the world close to nuclear war.

Result: Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis made the Soviet Union and United States see the dangers of nuclear war. They agreed to a treaty that banned testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.