JOHN F. KENNEDY

Election of 1960 John F. Kennedy (D-MA) Liberal (in favors Civil Rights) Catholic (this matters to a LOT of people) Northerner Picks Lyndon Johnson (D-TX) for VP

Election of 1960 Richard Nixon (R-CA) Conservative strict anti-Communist Supported by Eisenhower (outgoing Pres)

Debate Kennedy Wears TV makeup LOOKS great Nixon Looks nervous Sweating People who WATCHED on TV: KENNEDY People who LISTENED on radio: NIXON

Election of 1960 Kennedy 303 electoral votes 22 states 34,220,984 votes Nixon 219 electoral votes 26 states 34, 108,157 votes

Election of 1960

Kennedy Youngest elected Pres. New Frontier: Kennedy’s proposals to improve the economy, help the poor, and speed up the space program Expanded Social Security, raised minimum wage, funds for public housing, outlawed poll tax Peace Corps 1961 Volunteers go overseas as educators, health workers, technicians to help developing nations around the world Why?

Berlin Wall Berlin Blockade fails. What to do? Any East German who walks into West Berlin was a West German citizen. Flown to W. Germany, given a job, apartment, help getting started Average W. German professional made 4-7x times what same person in E. Germany. Also, lack of freedom in E. Germany

Brain Drain Best & brightest leaving E. Germany. Hundreds every day Country will collapse. “Brain Drain”

So… They build a wall around West Berlin Cuts off East German Population from West Berlin Anti-Fascist Protection Wall

Relatives separated

West Side “Baby Wall” Death Zone

Tried to escape Got past “baby wall” Shot by E. Germans Left to die

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic Cuba becomes Communist (1959) Fidel Castro & Khrushchev are good friends Khrushchev understands USA has to respect USSR since they have atom bomb. Also knows USSR is VERY far behind USA in number and quality of missiles (arms race)

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic USA has nuclear missiles pointed at USSR from bases in Europe and Turkey. 5-9 minutes to reach Moscow Many more missiles in USA that can reach USSR Khrushchev wants to catch up to Americans and make the threat more equal What would YOU do if you were Khrushchev?

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic There is another problem for Khrushchev. US will do ANYTHING to get rid of Castro and end Communism in Cuba (90 miles from USA) New US President, seems weak to Khrushchev and he fears US military is really running things

Bay of Pigs (Bahía de Cochinos) April 15, 1961…US trained Cubans land in Cuba Almost immediately surrounded CIA & Army tell Kennedy that military needs to invade Cuba, rescue them, and defeat Castro Kennedy refuses, and invasion is a disaster

Khrushchev thinks 3 things about the “Bay of Pigs” 1. Americans won’t stop trying to get rid of Castro, and will eventually invade 2. Kennedy is weak, has no guts for a real fight 3. USSR must protect Cuba

Khrushchev thinks 3 things about the “Bay of Pigs” 1. Americans won’t stop trying to get rid of Castro, and will eventually invade 2. Kennedy is weak, has no guts for a real fight 3. USSR must protect Cuba

Khrushchev comes up with a plan USSR will deploy missiles into Cuba! WHY? Americans will NEVER invade Cuba if that risks the launch of these missiles and the loss of Washington DC, Philadelphia, Miami, etc. Castro & Cuba will be saved! USSR could “even the score” by having missiles in America’s backyard. Just like the USA has missiles in USSR’s backyard

Missiles in Cuba Brilliant plan…IF he can get missiles into Cuba and operational before the USA figures out what is going on (that’s the tough part) However, even if the USA finds out about it, what are they going to do? They won’t go to war over them. RIGHT?

Missiles in Cuba US has something that would ruin the Soviet’s secret plan The U2 VERY high altitude plane with EXCELLENT cameras Took pictures that showed the Soviet secret

US is in a tough spot 1. Do nothing: US looks weak. 2. Bomb the missile sites: what if we miss some? 3. Bomb missile sites & invade Cuba: only way to ensure all missiles destroyed. What would USSR do? Invade Berlin? WWIII? There MUST be another option!

A new idea Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara comes up with a new ideas…blockade Cuba Use the US Navy to keep all ships away from Cuba until the USSR removes all missiles If USSR doesn’t agree to remove missiles in a few days, invasion, bombing, WWIII will begin

A new idea US military hates idea. Doesn’t get rid of missiles Tells Russians when we will invade JFK decides it is the best option Blockade! We call it a “quarantine” Blockading a country is an act of war

What happens? USSR eventually backs down…don’t have the same number of missiles as USA. If WWIII starts, US would have been hurt, but USSR would be destroyed If USSR pulls missiles out of Cuba, US will never invade Cuba or support an invasion. We SECRETLY agree to remove missiles in Turkey (that we were planning on removing anyway) Khrushchev tries to portray all of this as a Soviet victory, but no one buys it, even in USSR. MAJOR showdown of the Cold War, USSR has to back down

Results USA & USSR came very close to WWIII, USSR back down. Khrushchev knows USSR must catch up with USA Pump out missiles “like sausages” US responds and within 15 years, both sides have almost 50,000 nuclear weapons combined

Results JFK is hailed as doing a great job, while Khrushchev is seen as the man responsible for getting the USSR into this mess Less than 2 years later, he is removed from power for “health reasons” Only Soviet leader to be removed as head of the USSR while still alive.