1. KENNEDY AND THE COLD WAR
CHAPTER 28, SECTION 1

2. MAJOR DATES 1959: Castro seizes power in Cuba
1960: Kennedy elected President
1961: Bay of Pigs Invasion (April) Berlin Wall Constructed (Oct.)
1962: Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct.)
1963: Limited Test Ban Treaty

3. ELECTION OF 1960 Candidates? Major Issues:
Republican: Richard M. Nixon
Democrat: John F. Kennedy
Major Issues:
Was the U.S. losing the Cold War?
Economic Recession
Is America “adrift”?
What did “adrift” mean?
Important campaign events / traits
Both candidates were young
Nixon: 46
Kennedy: 43
Kennedy is Catholic; So what?

4. ELECTION OF 1960 Important events / traits (cont’d.) Result?
1st televised presidential debate, EVER
70 million viewers
Civil Rights events:
Martin Luther King arrested in Atlanta
So What? JFK supports MLK
Result?
Very Close election
Kennedy wins by 119,000 votes
Why? What helped Kennedy win? TV
Civil Rights
***ANYTHING ELSE?

5. ELECTION OF 1960
JFK and LBJ NIXON and LODGE

6. JFK & NIXON IN STUDIO

7. JFK & NIXON
Before TV Debate

8. 1960 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

9. The JFK Administration
What were Kennedy’s goals?
To confront / combat Soviet & communist expansionism
Re-define U.S. military policy:
Result? Flexible Response
Define: Change U.S. military policy from nuclear-dominated to combination of nuclear and conventional / covert capability
Effect?
Increased defense spending
New warfare methods developed; Examples?
“Counterinsurgency”
Special Operations Units:
Ex. US Army Green Berets

10. The JFK Administration
Other Goals?
JFK wants to promote Civil Rights
JFK wants to attack / reduce poverty
Where?
IN THE U.S.
IN THE “THIRD WORLD”
DEFINE: THIRD WORLD
POSSIBLE SOLUTION: The Peace Corps
Why?
In U.S.: To create more equality
In 3rd World: To make communism less appealing to people in those nations

11. CUBA
Problems in Cuba:
1959: Cuban Dictator, Batista, overthrown by Fidel Castro
Castro promises democracy for Cubans
U.S. reaction:
U.S. recognizes Castro’s gov’t.
U.S. is suspicious
Why is U.S. suspicious of Castro?
Castro gov’t. seizes foreign-owned businesses
Examples?
Oil Refineries
Commercial farms
75% of Cuban farmland had been owned by U.S. sugar companies
U.S. response? Put trade restrictions on Cuba
Cuban response? Look to Soviets for aid

12. CUBA (cont’d.) Problems (cont’d.)
Cuban population divided by Castro’s actions:
90% support Castro & Revolutionaries
10% opposed to Castro ; go into exile*
*Where do most Cuban exiles go?
Cuba’s gov’t. becomes Communist
Effect?
Cuba pulled into Cold War
U.S. – Soviet confrontation over Cuba is likely

13. Fidel Castro & Che Guevara

14. CASTRO ON LIFE MAGAZINE COVER, JANUARY, 1959

15. Che
Guevara,
1960

16. CHE GUEVARA, TIME MAGAZINE COVER, 1963

17. MAD MAGAZINE, OCTOBER, 1963

18. THE BAY OF PIGS When? April, 1961 Where? Cuba What? Did What? Effect?
CIA operation to overthrow Castro
1400 Anti-Castro exiles trained by CIA to invade & overthrow Castro
JFK approved plan
Did What?
Invasion force is not given U.S. military support
Invasion is a complete failure
Effect?
Castro & his gov’t. appear stronger to world
U.S. & JFK appear weak / incompetent / untrustworthy to world
What does this make the Soviets think?

19. THE BAY OF PIGS,
CUBA, 1961

20. THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
When? October, 1962
What?
Confrontation / standoff between communists (USSR & Cuba) and U.S.
Use of nuclear weapons was threatened by both sides
Causes?
1962: Soviets lend / place nuclear missiles in Cuba
Missiles discovered by U-2 flights
Most major U.S. cities w/in 15 min. attack range
JFK announces U.S. response:
U.S. will retaliate w/ nuclear weapons if Cuban missiles used
U.S. will not allow more Soviet weapons into Cuba

26. THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
U.S. Actions:
U.S. prepares invasion force for possible assault on Cuba
U.S. Navy BLOCKADES Cuba
Nothing gets in, or out, of Cuba
Problem? What will happen if the Soviets try to break through the blockade?
What was going on here? Brinkmanship
What happens?
Soviet ships approach Cuba
U.S. Navy is waiting
Soviet ships stop - turn around: war is avoided
“We were eyeball to eyeball, and the other fellow just blinked.”
DEAN RUSK, SECRETARY OF STATE

27. U.S. Land-Based Missile, 1962

28. Life Magazine
Nov., 1962

29. AFTERMATH Results of Cuban Missile Crisis:
Soviets agree to remove missiles from Cuba
U.S. agrees to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey (near Soviet border)
U.S. guarantees not to invade Cuba
Kruschev is criticized for being too soft
JFK criticized for missing opportunity to get rid of Castro
Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Why do you think so?

30. BERLIN (Again) Problem? What Happens? Results?
Large numbers of people defect from East to West Berlin
DEFINE: “DEFECT”
Embarrassment to Soviets
What Happens?
Soviets threatens to blockade Berlin (again)
Soviets & E. Germans build Berlin Wall
U.S. has superior airpower, so Soviets can’t blockade Berlin
Wall becomes symbol of communist oppression
Results?
JFK & Kruschev establish “Hot Line”
US & Soviets sign Limited Test Ban Treaty

33. BERLIN WALL PLAN

35. BERLIN WALL CROSSINGS

36. Berlin Wall,
1961
1991