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IB History of the Americas chapter 7.5 notes
Kennedy’s Administration and Foreign Policy Legacy
Overview: JFK served less than three years as US President but left a significant foreign policy legacy.
Vietnam: Began escalation of US troop involvement.
Berlin: Defused the crisis over West Berlin’s sovereignty.
Cuban Missile Crisis: 13 days of intense negotiations resolved the USA-USSR standoff, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Alliance for Progress: Aimed to achieve political stability in Latin America through economic assistance and social reforms, countering military-focused Cold War policies. The Kennedy Doctrine opposed Soviet influence in the Americas, particularly Cuba.
Cold War Policy Goals:
Continued containment and “New Look” policies from Truman and Eisenhower, shifting from massive retaliation to “flexible response”:
Nuclear war as the last resort.
Prioritized negotiation, economic assistance, covert operations, and conventional force expansion.
Alliance for Progress Details:
Pledged $500 million in aid with goals to increase per capita income, diversify trade, industrialize, stabilize prices, eliminate adult illiteracy, and enact social reforms, addressing land concentration issues (5–10% owned 70–80% of land).
Challenges included limited aid ($10 per person annually) and minimal democratic support; ultimately deemed a failure.
Key Questions and Concepts:
Questions: Why did the Alliance for Progress fail? What was the significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis? Why did the USA intervene in Chile in the 1970s? How did Carter’s policies differ from predecessors?
Key Concepts: Continuity and Change; Significance of Kennedy’s Latin America Policy and the Cuba Crisis.
Softening Stance Toward Dictatorships:
Six coups in Latin America during Kennedy’s last year forced support for dictatorships over democracies, strengthening them while misallocating economic funds.
Widespread discontent in Latin America continued despite US opposition to Marxism.
Cuba Background: Kennedy was critical of Eisenhower’s inaction against Castro, vowing to counter communism and restore democracy.
Bay of Pigs Invasion:
Initially Eisenhower’s plan, expected Cuban support for overthrowing Castro, which failed due to CIA miscalculations. Kennedy's public commitment against intervention reinforced Cuba's internal conflict.
Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962):
Revealed Soviet missiles in Cuba; Kennedy announced a quarantine, escalating tensions. Negotiations led to missile removal from both Cuba and Turkey, highlighting the reality of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD).
Continued U.S. Policy on Cuba: Maintained trade restrictions, engaged in covert operations, and attempted to assassinate Castro.
Covert Operations in British Guiana: Targeted Cheddi Jagan to undermine perceived Marxism with CIA-backed anti-Jagan strikes, leading to a US-supported dictatorship.
U.S. Foreign Policies from Kennedy to Carter: Key Events and Policies
Johnson Administration (1963-1969):
Followed the Mann Doctrine, prioritizing economic growth and anti-communism over social reform, while supporting various military regimes.
Nixon Administration (1969-1974):
Concluded the failure of the Alliance for Progress but continued previous policies.
Actively worked to destabilize Chile’s Allende and supported right-wing regimes, impacting social structures.
Key Outcomes and Trends:
Both administrations supported authoritarian regimes, reinforcing economic inequalities and undermining democratic movements in Latin America.
U.S. Foreign Policies from Kennedy to Carter: Further Developments
U.S. Involvement in Chile:
Spent $10 million from 1970-1973 to destabilize Allende’s government, supporting a coup led by Pinochet.
Carter’s Foreign Policy (1977-1981):
Shifted towards human rights, aiming to reduce military presence while negotiating the Panama Canal treaties for greater regional control.
Human Rights Policy: Tied aid to human rights records, though results were mixed due to ongoing Cold War dynamics.
Challenges in Central America:
Increased violence and repression in countries like El Salvador contrasted with initial human rights goals, leading to a return to Cold War policies by the end of Carter’s tenure.
IB History of the Americas chapter 7.5 notes
Kennedy’s Administration and Foreign Policy Legacy
Overview: JFK served less than three years as US President but left a significant foreign policy legacy.
Vietnam: Began escalation of US troop involvement.
Berlin: Defused the crisis over West Berlin’s sovereignty.
Cuban Missile Crisis: 13 days of intense negotiations resolved the USA-USSR standoff, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Alliance for Progress: Aimed to achieve political stability in Latin America through economic assistance and social reforms, countering military-focused Cold War policies. The Kennedy Doctrine opposed Soviet influence in the Americas, particularly Cuba.
Cold War Policy Goals:
Continued containment and “New Look” policies from Truman and Eisenhower, shifting from massive retaliation to “flexible response”:
Nuclear war as the last resort.
Prioritized negotiation, economic assistance, covert operations, and conventional force expansion.
Alliance for Progress Details:
Pledged $500 million in aid with goals to increase per capita income, diversify trade, industrialize, stabilize prices, eliminate adult illiteracy, and enact social reforms, addressing land concentration issues (5–10% owned 70–80% of land).
Challenges included limited aid ($10 per person annually) and minimal democratic support; ultimately deemed a failure.
Key Questions and Concepts:
Questions: Why did the Alliance for Progress fail? What was the significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis? Why did the USA intervene in Chile in the 1970s? How did Carter’s policies differ from predecessors?
Key Concepts: Continuity and Change; Significance of Kennedy’s Latin America Policy and the Cuba Crisis.
Softening Stance Toward Dictatorships:
Six coups in Latin America during Kennedy’s last year forced support for dictatorships over democracies, strengthening them while misallocating economic funds.
Widespread discontent in Latin America continued despite US opposition to Marxism.
Cuba Background: Kennedy was critical of Eisenhower’s inaction against Castro, vowing to counter communism and restore democracy.
Bay of Pigs Invasion:
Initially Eisenhower’s plan, expected Cuban support for overthrowing Castro, which failed due to CIA miscalculations. Kennedy's public commitment against intervention reinforced Cuba's internal conflict.
Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962):
Revealed Soviet missiles in Cuba; Kennedy announced a quarantine, escalating tensions. Negotiations led to missile removal from both Cuba and Turkey, highlighting the reality of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD).
Continued U.S. Policy on Cuba: Maintained trade restrictions, engaged in covert operations, and attempted to assassinate Castro.
Covert Operations in British Guiana: Targeted Cheddi Jagan to undermine perceived Marxism with CIA-backed anti-Jagan strikes, leading to a US-supported dictatorship.
U.S. Foreign Policies from Kennedy to Carter: Key Events and Policies
Johnson Administration (1963-1969):
Followed the Mann Doctrine, prioritizing economic growth and anti-communism over social reform, while supporting various military regimes.
Nixon Administration (1969-1974):
Concluded the failure of the Alliance for Progress but continued previous policies.
Actively worked to destabilize Chile’s Allende and supported right-wing regimes, impacting social structures.
Key Outcomes and Trends:
Both administrations supported authoritarian regimes, reinforcing economic inequalities and undermining democratic movements in Latin America.
U.S. Foreign Policies from Kennedy to Carter: Further Developments
U.S. Involvement in Chile:
Spent $10 million from 1970-1973 to destabilize Allende’s government, supporting a coup led by Pinochet.
Carter’s Foreign Policy (1977-1981):
Shifted towards human rights, aiming to reduce military presence while negotiating the Panama Canal treaties for greater regional control.
Human Rights Policy: Tied aid to human rights records, though results were mixed due to ongoing Cold War dynamics.
Challenges in Central America:
Increased violence and repression in countries like El Salvador contrasted with initial human rights goals, leading to a return to Cold War policies by the end of Carter’s tenure.
