1 / 14

JFK

JFK & THE COLD WAR. JFK. Election of 1960. Nixon-Kennedy First televised debates JFK: coached, wore makeup Nixon: sweating, 5 o’clock shadow Radio vs. TV viewers. 1960 Campaign. MLK Jr. arrested for sitting at segregated lunch counter in GA King sentenced to 4 months

Download Presentation

JFK

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. JFK & THE COLD WAR JFK

  2. Election of 1960 • Nixon-Kennedy • First televised debates • JFK: coached, wore makeup • Nixon: sweating, 5 o’clock shadow • Radio vs. TV viewers

  3. 1960 Campaign • MLK Jr. arrested for sitting at segregated lunch counter in GA • King sentenced to 4 months • Eisenhower refused to intervene, Nixon ignored the event • JFK called King’s wife • RFK persuaded judge to release MLK on bail • Helped capture African-American votes

  4. The Camelot Years • Inaugural speech: “ask not what your country can do for you…” • National obsession with Kennedy family • Jackie became fashion icon • JFK speed reader (1,600 wpm) so thousands enrolled in speed reading classes

  5. JFK & Cold War • Eisenhower had emphasized containment, domino theory, hard-line, deterrence • JFK wanted to move away from threatening the use of nuclear war • Focused on conventional military forces, created Green Berets • Called “flexible response”

  6. CUBA • 90 miles off Florida coast! • Castro wins control in 1959 • Nationalizes US & British oil refineries, US sugar farms • Congress enacts embargo • Cuba relies on Soviet aid • JFK had said Republicans let Cuba go communist

  7. BAY OF PIGS • Eisenhower had approved plans for US-sponsored invasion of Cuba • CIA trained 1500 Cuban exiles for invasion • JFK learned of plan only 9 days after taking office, but approved it • April 17, 1961: US-sponsored exiles landed on Bahía de Cochinos

  8. Bay of Pigs Cont’d • US air strike to take out Cuban air force failed • Advance group sent to distract Cuban forces never arrived • 25,000 Cuban troops waiting when commando unit of exiles arrived • Soviet tanks and jets • JFK negotiated with Castro, sent $53 mil in food & medical supplies in exchange for release of exiles • Mission said to have blown up in JFK’s face

  9. Cuban Missile Crisis • October 14-28, 1962 • U2 surveillance of Cuba revealed construction of bases for Soviet missiles • MRBM’s have range of 1200 miles, could have reached as far as Washington DC • US/USSR on the brink of nuclear war!

  10. Berlin Crisis • Wall built surrounding West Berlin 1961 • Khrushchev threatened to close off all access, JFK said “we can not & will not allow the communists to drive us out of Berlin” • JFK visits, gives speech June 26, 1963 • “There are some who say communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin.” • “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

  11. Reducing Tensions • Kennedy & Khrushchev agreed to tone down tensions between the two countries • Hot Line: between White House & Kremlin to communicate if issues arise • Limited Test Ban Treaty: prohibited nuclear testing in the atmosphere (only underground)

  12. Peace Corps • One of JFK’s campaign promises • Volunteer assistance to developing countries • By 1968, 35,000 volunteers in 60 nations • Helped promote democracy & improved America’s image in the world to countries in danger of falling to communism

  13. Race to Moon • April 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became first man in space • JFK proposed sending a man to the moon by the end of the decade as part of “New Frontier” • NASA built launch facilities at Cape Canaveral & mission control at Houston • Apollo program designed with goal of landing on moon • July 20, 1969 • Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins

  14. November 22, 1963 • Kennedy & wife went to Dallas to meet with TX Republicans • Driving in motorcade in limo • Shots fired from TX School Book Depository • DOA by the time limo arrived at the hospital, LBJ took oath on AF1 • Lee Harvey Oswald charged with murder, prints on rifle • Warren Commission set up to investigate conspiracy theories (CIA, communists, Cubans); found that may have been a low level conspiracy and that Oswald probably did not act alone

More Related