History 171D The United States and the World Since 1945
Eisenhower, Khrushchev, & Kennedy
Nikita Khrushchev General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union,
Khrushchev’s dilemmas: Wanted to liberalize Soviet bloc, but liberalization could lead to disunity
Khrushchev’s dilemmas: Wanted to ease tensions with West, but also needed to shore up revolutionary credentials in communist world
Khrushchev’s dilemmas: Wanted the USSR to be recognized as military equal of US, but knew USSR was much weaker
Mid- to late 1950s— Khrushchev conceded US superiority in bombers and concentrated instead on developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICMBs)
Summer 1957—USSR tested first ICBM
October 1957—USSR Launched Sputnik, causing panic in US
From U-2 spy flights, Eisenhower knew how weak USSR was, but because U-2 was secret he couldn’t reassure American people
U-2 photograph of Soviet airfield
Post-Sputnik investments in education and scientific research
In wake of Sputnik, Democrats accused Eisenhower administration of failing to meet Soviet challenge; also accused Eisenhower of failing to win over Third World countries Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy
VP Richard Nixon in South America, 1958
US-Cuban relations Prerevolutionary Cuba
Fulgencio Batista Cuban President ,
January 1959—Fidel Castro overthrew Batista and took over Cuban government
1960—Castro aligned with Moscow
July 1959—American National Exhibit in Moscow
July 1959—VP Richard Nixon visited Moscow, engaged in “Kitchen Debate” with Khrushchev
September 1959— Khrushchev visited United States
Eisenhower agreed to visit USSR in following year
U-2 Affair, 1960
May 1960—Soviets shot down U-2 plane
... and captured Francis Gary Powers
Khrushchev with wreckage of Powers’s spy plane
U-2 Affair derailed plans for Moscow summit
Powers on trial in Moscow
In 1960 presidential election, John F. Kennedy accused Eisenhower administration of “losing” Cuba, and of allowing “missile gap” favoring USSR Nixon-Kennedy presidential debate
November 1960—Kennedy narrowly elected
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April 1961—Kennedy launched “Bay of Pigs” invasion, which ended in fiasco
After Bay of Pigs Kennedy administration stepped up efforts to assassinate Castro (Operation Mongoose)
June 1961—Khrushchev and Kennedy met in Vienna; Khrushchev unimpressed
Summer 1961—Berlin crisis
Khrushchev: Four Powers must make Berlin a “free city,” or else USSR will turn over access routes to East Germany
Kennedy responded by activating reservists, conducting massive military buildup, and encouraging Americans to build fallout shelters
Berlin Wall
October 1961— Kennedy administration revealed extent of Soviet nuclear inferiority Deputy Defense Secretary Roswell Gilpatrick
1962—Khrushchev secretly arranged to deploy intermediate range ballistic missiles, (IRBMs) and medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) in Cuba
Intermediate range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) Medium range ballistic missiles (IRBMs)
October 1962—US discovered missile sites in Cuba
October 1962—JFK set up Executive Committee (ExComm) to decide what to do
October 1962—US imposed blockade against Cuba; JFK publicly demanded removal of missiles
Khrushchev offered to remove missiles if US pledged not to invade Cuba and dismantled Jupiter missiles in Turkey
US Jupiter missiles in Turkey Khrushchev offered to remove missiles if US pledged not to invade Cuba and dismantled Jupiter missiles in Turkey
JFK essentially accepted deal but kept Jupiter part secret—made it seem as if Khrushchev had backed down
JFK’s secret assurances via UN Secretary General U Thant
JFK essentially accepted deal but kept Jupiter part secret—made it seem as if Khrushchev had backed down
US-Soviet “Hotline”
Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, 1963
Kennedy’s American University Speech, June 1963
79 Mutual Assured Destruction
80 M utual A ssured D estruction