The Kennedy Years and the Cold War

The Kennedy Administration and Cold War Context

  • John Kennedy was elected in 1960 and served as president from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.

  • His vice president was Lyndon Baines Johnson, who assumed the presidency after Kennedy's death.

  • The Cold War was an ideological, economic, and military conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, often fought through proxy wars.

The Berlin Wall and Military Escalation

  • In 1961, the Soviets constructed the 27 mile long Berlin Wall, separating communist East Berlin from capitalist West Berlin.

  • The wall served as a symbol of the United States' commitment to the policy of containment: stopping the spread of communism.

  • Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Kennedy increased nuclear weapons five fold and added 300,000 troops to the military.

  • The US special forces, known as the green berets, were established to provide a "flexible response" to global conflicts.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion

  • In April 1961, the US attempted to overthrow Fidel Castro, whose communist government was established in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida.

  • The CIA trained 1,400 anti-communist Cuban refugees to invade the Bay Of Pigs on 04/17/1961, intended to spark a larger rebellion.

  • The invasion was a disaster; Castro had 20,000 troops ready, and Kennedy failed to provide promised air support.

  • The conflict resulted in 100 invaders killed and over 1,200 captured; Kennedy eventually paid a $53,000,000 ransom for their release.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

  • In 1962, the US and the Soviet Union engaged in a thirteen day standoff which was the closest the world has come to a nuclear attack.

  • Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev sought to place nuclear warheads in Cuba after Kennedy sent warheads to Turkey.

  • The crisis was resolved when Kennedy pledged not to invade Cuba and secretly agreed to remove US warheads from Turkey.

  • A special telephone line was installed between Moscow and Washington DC to facilitate direct communication between leaders.

The Assassination of JFK

  • Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a convertible in Dallas, Texas, on 11/22/1963.

  • Lyndon Baines Johnson took over the presidency immediately following the event.

  • The shooter, Oswald, was allegedly located in the Book Depository, which now houses a museum dedicated to the event.