The Cold War – Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis

Flexible Response Kennedy’s new foreign policy replaced the policy of Massive Retaliation: More spending on conventional forces More spending on conventional forces Giving economic aid to developing countries Giving economic aid to developing countries Continuing with CIA covert work Continuing with CIA covert work Enlarging the nuclear arsenal Enlarging the nuclear arsenal Continuing negotiations with the Soviet Union Continuing negotiations with the Soviet Union Kennedy said “We intend to have a wider choice than humiliation or all-out nuclear war”

Latin American Relations Not good! The U.S. had extended aid to Europe, but not Latin America The U.S. had extended aid to Europe, but not Latin America The U.S. continued to intervene in Latin American affairs (i.e. – CIA led coup in Guatemala) The U.S. continued to intervene in Latin American affairs (i.e. – CIA led coup in Guatemala) The U.S. supported bloody dictators who claimed to be fighting communism The U.S. supported bloody dictators who claimed to be fighting communism

The Bay of Pigs Invasion In April 1961, an invasion force of Cuban exiles trained in the U.S. by the CIA invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs Castro had agents in the CIA and knew of the invasion plans His troops were waiting for them and captured 1,100 men

Why Did the Bay of Pigs Invasion Fail? Kennedy’s was an inexperienced president and let his military advisors give him bad advice It had counted on a popular uprising against Castro There was a shortage of ammunition and lack of air cover Kennedy would not sanction more U.S. air support for the invasion force if he was to distance himself from the plot

Aftermath of the Bay of Pigs Invasion After negotiations, Castro finally agreed to the repatriation of the prisoners in exchange for $53 million in food and medicine. The prisoners were returned from December 1962 to July 1965 Castro declared himself to be communist and drew closer to the USSR. Both countries made a trade and defense alliance with each other Castro feared an invasion by the U.S.

Berlin Ultimatum #2 (1961) Vienna Summit of 1961, Khrushchev wanted to exploit Kennedy’s inexperience by bullying him into giving up Berlin Kennedy had also just been humiliated in the Bay of Pigs invasion Kennedy responded to the demand by an increase in military spending and a civil defense program designed to build more fallout shelters

The Berlin Wall (1961) Many East Germans worked in West Berlin and saw the freedoms and wealth of the West The best trained and educated citizens could earn much better money in the West (“Brain Drain”) By 1961, 3 million had fled to the west to Berlin, as many as 1,800 per day. This was an embarrassment to Russia, who proclaimed the superiority of the communist system

The Berlin Wall (1961) As a result, the Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961 It represented physically the deep divisions of Eastern and Western Europe It prevented free access between the East and West sections of the city

The Berlin Wall (1961) Why the Wall? The Russians claimed that the Americans used West Berlin for spying and sabotage. The wall would keep East Germany safe The Russians claimed that the Americans used West Berlin for spying and sabotage. The wall would keep East Germany safe Comparisons between the lifestyles of the East and West would cease due to lack of contact Comparisons between the lifestyles of the East and West would cease due to lack of contact The wall would stop the flow of East German citizens to West Germany The wall would stop the flow of East German citizens to West Germany

The Berlin Wall (1961) Consequences of the wall: Berlin was split into two Berlin was split into two Hundreds of East Berliners died trying to cross it (about 300 total) Hundreds of East Berliners died trying to cross it (about 300 total) America complained, but did not try to take it down for risk of a war America complained, but did not try to take it down for risk of a war Tension grew as both sides started nuclear testing Tension grew as both sides started nuclear testing The West became more anti-communist The West became more anti-communist

Operation Mongoose In November 1961, Kennedy asked his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, to oversee Operation Mongoose This was a program of economic warfare, sabotage, and terrorism designed to topple Castro

Cuban Missile Crisis Since the U.S. had ringed the USSR with hostile alliances and nuclear missiles aimed at the country, the Khrushchev decided to install medium-range nuclear missiles in Cuba This was done because: It would counter U.S. nuclear missiles It would counter U.S. nuclear missiles They believed it could win a nuclear war They believed it could win a nuclear war Double the number of targets that Soviet missiles were capable of hitting Double the number of targets that Soviet missiles were capable of hitting

Cuban Missile Crisis In July 1962, the U.S. government became aware that missiles were being imported and set up in Cuba U-2 spy planes photographed the missile sites By October 16 th, President Kennedy opted for a naval quarantine (blockade) to prevent Soviet ships bearing missiles from reaching Cuba

Cuban Missile Crisis The USSR denounced the blockade From October 22 nd -24 th, Soviet ships were on course for Cuba The U.S. put its nuclear forces on red alert and assembled an invasion force in Florida

Cuban Missile Crisis On October 24 th, the Soviet ships slowed down and then changed course away from Cuba Khrushchev sent Kennedy a message offering to withdraw the missiles in Cuba in exchange for: A U.S. pledge never to invade the island A U.S. pledge never to invade the island U.S. withdrawal of nuclear missiles in Turkey U.S. withdrawal of nuclear missiles in Turkey

Cuban Missile Crisis Dean Rusk, Secretary of State commented about the crisis, “We’re eyeball to eyeball and I think the other fellow just blinked”

Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy agreed to both provisions by October 28 th During the following weeks, both superpowers began fulfilling their promises

Results of the Cuban Missile Crisis It was the closest to nuclear war that any two countries have ever come The Soviet missiles were removed from Cuba The U.S. had to tolerate a Communist country in the Caribbean U.S. missiles were removed from Turkey

Results of the Cuban Missile Crisis It led to a decrease in tension in the Cold War (détente) Relations were stained between Khrushchev and Castro Khrushchev was discredited Khrushchev and his successors began the largest peacetime arms race in history so as not to be in a position of humiliation again

Results of the Cuban Missile Crisis Democrats fared well in the Congressional elections of 1962 Kennedy pushed for a nuclear test-ban treaty (one was signed in late 1963) Installation in August 1963 of a Moscow- Washington “hot line” for easy communication in case of crisis (teletype machine, not telephone) Kennedy advocated to not think of the Soviet Union as a devil-ridden country

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) Defense Secretary Robert McNamara came up with this policy The idea was to build up your nuclear arsenal to make the counter-strike so frightening that neither side would use their weapons The belief was that if no one – Soviet or American – could survive a nuclear war, then there would not be one