1. The 1960s
JFK’s Foreign Policy

2. 1960 Presidential Candidates
John F. Kennedy
Wealthy
Powerful family
East Coast
Movie-star good looks 
Ease & authority in presence
*Roman Catholic
Richard Nixon
Self-made man
“Common man”
West Coast (CA)
Ties to 70-year old Eisenhower

3. Election of 1960 One of closest in history
Less than 120,000 votes separated the two out of 69 million cast
Electoral margin is not as wide
JFK becomes YOUNGEST person elected and the FIRST Roman Catholic
*Black vote helped JFK (MLK Jr. incident)

5. Era of Youth & Vitality JFK’s Advisors “Best & brightest” Young
Closest advisor: JFK’s brother Robert (“Bobby”)
Served as Attorney General

6. Castro & Cuba CIA Castro
Eisenhower authorized the secret training of Cuban exiles to invade Cuba & overthrow Fidel Castro
Castro
Castro gave numerous anti-American speeches
He agreed to a trade arrangement with the USSR
Thus, the U.S. cut off economic & political ties

7. Bay of Pigs Miserably failed invasion of Cuba
It was reported 1 week prior to invasion
U.S. bombers failed to knock out Cuban Air Force
Also revealed U.S. involvement
Castro was prepared
1200 surviving invaders sent to prison
1962 JFK paid $52 million for their release

9. New Crisis in Berlin East vs. West Berlin
Khrushchev (Soviet leader) used Berlin to test the U.S.
JFK increased troops to West Germany
Khrushchev responded with the Berlin Wall
JFK proclaimed…
“A wall… is not a war”
Berlin Wall (built 1961) divided families, neighborhoods, & streets
It blocked East Germans from escaping to freedom in West Berlin
Divided communist & democratic sectors

11. “I am a Berliner”
There are many people in the world who really don’t understand… the greatest issue between the free world & 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 & elsewhere we can work with the communists. Let them come to Berlin… All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, & therefore as a free man I take I take pride in the worlds ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’

12. Cuban Missile Crisis Buildup in Cuba Khrushchev pledged to defend Cuba
Soviets concerned about U.S. missiles in Turkey
USSR upgraded Cuba’s defense with SAMs (surface-to-air missiles)

14. Crisis Begins U-2 spy plane detected SAMs Ex Comm
Soviets claimed they were defensive missiles but evidence suggests otherwise
Ex Comm
Group of advisors
Most favored air strike & possible invasion of Cuba
McNamara & R. Kennedy argued for naval blockade

15. Crisis Continues Ex Comm On TV, JFK warned the nation of the threat
Khrushchev sent JFK a letter offering to remove missiles if U.S. pledged to never invade Cuba
Next day, Khrushchev sent another demanding U.S. also remove missiles from Turkey
JFK ignored 2nd & responded to 1st
Later he secretly agreed to remove missiles too

16. Effects of C.M.C. *Closest the world has ever come to nuclear war!!
A hotline was set up in 1963 for a direct connection between U.S. & USSR
Both signed the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

17. JFK’s Foreign Policy Peace Corps Alliance for Progress
Volunteers to Africa, Asia & Latin America
Education, health care & agriculture
Alliance for Progress
Billions of dollars to Latin America for schools, hospitals, power plants…
Flexible Response
Continued nuclear build up with other options just in case…