Kennedy and The Cold War

The Election of 1960 Fears that US military falling behind

USSR Democrat: John F. Kennedy (JFK) Republican: Richard Nixon Two factors helped JFK: television & civil

rights issue

Televised Debate JFK: well-organized campaign, backing

of his wealthy family, charismatic Roman Catholic Only 43

Nixon vs. Kennedy televised debate Nixon hoped to expose JFK’s inexperience JFK had been coached by tv producers,

looked better & spoke better

JFK as President JFK won by a small margin “Ask not what your country can do for

you, ask what you can do for your country”

Wife: Jacquelyn Kennedy, fashion & culture

JFK often appeared on tv; popular appeal

New Military Policy Eisenhower relied on massive retaliation Flexible Response: broaden US range of

options by strengthening military’s ability to fight a non-nuclear war Increased defense spending Hoped to reduce risk of nuclear war

Crisis in Cuba Fidel Castro came to power as a

communist, openly accepting aid from USSR Politically repressed those who did not

agree with him

Bay of Pigs Cuban exiles were secretly trained for an

invasion in US Cuban exiles supported by US military

landed in Cuba’s Bay of Pigs in April 1961 Air strike failed to knock out Cuban air

force 1300 Cuban exiles faced 25,000 Cuban

troops backed by USSR Cuban media sensationalized the defeat of

North American mercenaries Left JFK & America humiliated, JFK took the

blame publicly

Cuban Missile Crisis USSR weapons to Cuba increased greatly JFK warns that America will no tolerate

nuclear weapons in Cuba JFK informed US people of Soviet

missiles in Cuba Any missile attack from Cuba would

trigger all-out attack on USSR World faced terrifying possibility of

nuclear war

Cuban Missile Crisis Soviet ships carrying more missiles headed

toward Cuba US Navy prepared to quarantine Cuba &

prevent ships from coming w/in 500 miles US troops waited Khrushchev offered to remove missiles in

exchange for American pledge not to invade Cuba US secretly agrees to remove missiles from Turkey

“For a moment the world had stood still”

Berlin Wall Crisis Berlin Wall- concrete wall topped with

barbed wire that split Berlin in half East German’s fled into West Germany b/c it

was free from communist rule (led to construction)

Built by USSR Symbol of communist oppression

Race to the Moon April 12, 1961, Soviets put first man in

space JFK sees this as a challenge and decided to

America would surpass Soviets by sending a man to the moon

“But why, some say, the moon?... And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, thirty-five years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?”- John F. Kennedy

Race to the Moon NASA began constructing new launch

facilities in Cape Canaveral & mission control center in Houston

July 20, 1969: Neil Armstrong walks on moon

Universities expanded their science programs

Man on the Moon “One small step for man; one giant leap

for mankind”