Kennedy and the Cold War

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Page 63 NCSCOS Goal 11
Kennedy and the Cold War
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Election of 1960

• -John F. KennedyDem.
• Senator from Mass.
• -Richard Nixon Rep.
• Eisenhowers VP
• -religious issue
• Kennedy Catholic
• -impact of television
• First-ever TV debates, Kennedy more appealing
• -Kennedy wins very close election
• Gains black vote by civil rights stance
• takes a hard line on communism

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The election in November of 1960 was the closest
since 1884 Kennedy won by fewer than 119,000
votes. Since Kennedy had been elected by the
slimmest of margins, he lacked a popular
mandatea clear indication that voters approved
of his plans. As a result, he often tried to
play it safe politically.
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Cuban Revolution

• -1959 Fidel Castro leads revolution
• -turns to communist system
• Began to rely on Communist aid from Soviets
• -confiscated lands of large corporations
• Government takeover
• -trade barriers set
• -seen as threat to the U.S.
• -many Cubans go into exile
• 90 miles to Florida in the U.S.

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Bay of Pigs

• -Cuban exiles to try to overthrow Castro
• Eisenhower allows CIA to train them, Kennedy
  continues mission
• -U.S. gives exiles military aid
• Cuban exiles and U.S. troops invade at Bay of
  Pigs
• -Attack at the Bay of Pigs is a great failure
• Defeated by Cuban/Soviet troops at great cost
• -embarrassment to the U.S. and Kennedy
• -Cuba turns to USSR for more aid

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Berlin Wall

• -millions of East Germans moved West
• Escape brutal Communists, take money with them
• -Soviets want East Germany recognized as new
  nation
• -wall built to separate East and West
• No longer allowed to leave and go West
• -seem as symbol of communism
• And symbol of the Cold War

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Building of the Berlin Wall
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Cuban Missile Crisis

• -Soviets place missiles in Cuba very close to
  U.S.
• -Oct. 1962
• -U.S. spy planes get intelligence
• Missiles could reach U.S. cities in minutes
• -Kennedy demanded removal
• -U.S. blockades Cuba
• No ships allowed within 500 miles of Cuba USSR
  still sends ships world waits
• -brink of war
• USSR backs down
• Removes missiles from Cuba as long as the U.S.
  promises not to invade Cuba
• U.S. removes missiles from Turkey

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Easing Tensions

• -Hotline established between leaders
• Could communicate at once if another crisis arose
• -signed treaty banning nuclear testing above
  ground
• Limited Test Ban Treaty attempts to limit number
  of nuclear weapons built and tested
• Protected the atmosphere

The Limited Test Ban Treaty limited the
nuclear-competing nations to testing nuclear
weapons. They were no longer allowed to test
them above ground, which prevented the
manufacture of weapons.
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