1. The Cold War – Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis

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

3. Latin American Relations
Not good!
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. supported bloody dictators who claimed to be fighting communism

4. 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

5. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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
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

12. The Berlin Wall (1961) Consequences of the wall:
Berlin was split into two
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
Tension grew as both sides started nuclear testing
The West became more anti-communist

14. 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

15. 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
They believed it could win a nuclear war
Double the number of targets that Soviet missiles were capable of hitting

16. 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 16th, President Kennedy opted for a naval quarantine (blockade) to prevent Soviet ships bearing missiles from reaching Cuba

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

20. Cuban Missile Crisis
On October 24th, 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
U.S. withdrawal of nuclear missiles in Turkey

21. 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”

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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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