Foreign Policy The Early 1960s

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Fidel Castro became communist leader of Cuba in 1959 Developed ties to Soviet Union Eisenhower planned anti-communist revolution Under President Kennedy, CIA trained anti-Castro Cubans With Nikita Khrushchev

In April, 1961 the invasion began 1,500 armed Cuban exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs Problems: Hostile terrain Resistance from Cubans JFK wouldn’t authorize US air support

A foreign policy disaster for the US 90 exiles died Almost 1,200 captured A foreign policy disaster for the US “Playa Giron: The first great defeat in Latin America.”

The Berlin Wall

June 1961: JFK and Khrushchev meet to discuss Berlin Went poorly JFK asked Congress to build US military, build fallout shelters Tells Americans that West Berlin was: “the great testing place of American courage and will, a focal point where our solemn commitments…and Soviet ambitions now meet in basic confrontation…We do not want to fight—but we have fought before.”

August, 1961: Soviets begin building Berlin Wall Stopped flow of East Germans to the West JFK visited the Berlin Wall in June 1963

JFK gave speech condemning the Berlin Wall

Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was "civis Romanus sum Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was "civis Romanus sum." Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner." There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin.

There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say, in Europe and elsewhere, we can work with the Communists. And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass' sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin.

Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect. But we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in -- to prevent them from leaving us. So let me ask you as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today, to the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom of merely this city of Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.

Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, and it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two decades.

All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

The Berlin Wall was dismantled in 1990 and Germany became unified

JFK wanted to promote “peaceful revolutions” in Latin American countries Wanted stable governments aligned with the US Established the Alliance for Progress in 1961

Therefore I have called on all people of the hemisphere to join in a new Alliance for Progress -- Alianza para Progreso -- a vast cooperative effort, unparalleled in magnitude and nobility of purpose to satisfy the basic needs of the American people for homes, work and land, health and schools - techo, trabajo y tierra, salud y escuela --John F. Kennedy, March 13, 1961

JFK pledged $20 billion over 10 years Many countries began to see the Alliance as merely a tool to stop communism

JFK established the Peace Corps in 1961 Sends college educated Americans to work in developing countries Still exists today