Summary of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Berlin Wall

Shift in Cold War Strategy

• Kennedy vs. Eisenhower: Kennedy criticized the Eisenhower administration for a perceived "missile gap" and the rise of communism in Cuba under Fidel Castro.
• Flexible Response: Kennedy shifted from a reliance on nuclear weapons to funding conventional military forces, establishing the elite Green Berets.
• Peace Corps: Created to send American volunteers globally to provide technical, educational, and health services as a way to promote democracy and prosperity.

The Berlin Crisis

• Vienna Summit (June $1961$): Khrushchev demanded the United States recognize the division of Germany and withdraw from West Berlin to stop East Germans from fleeing; Kennedy refused.
• Berlin Wall: Following the conference, Khrushchev ordered the construction of the wall, making it the visible symbol of the Cold War.
• Military Expansion: Kennedy responded to the tension by asking Congress for a dramatic increase in military spending.

Cuban Conflict and the Missile Crisis

• Bay of Pigs (1961): A failed CIA-planned invasion using ex-Cuban forces to overthrow Fidel Castro, who had ousted Fulgencio Batista in $1959$.
• Missile Discovery: In September $1962$, the U.S. learned the Soviet Union was building nuclear sites in Cuba.
• Naval Quarantine: In October $1962$, Kennedy ordered a blockade (quarantine) to prevent the delivery of more missiles.
• The Resolution: Khrushchev agreed to remove missiles from Cuba if the U.S. pledged not to invade Cuba and removed American missiles from Turkey.

Long-term Impact and Detente

• Hotline: A direct communication link was installed between the leaders to ease hostility and prevent future crises.
• Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ($1963$): An agreement signed by the Soviet Union, Britain, and the U.S. to limit nuclear testing.
• Detente: The crisis prompted both global powers to move toward a period of eased tensions.