Kennedy’s Foreign Policy

Bay of PigsBerlin WallCuban Missile Crises

Continued Cold War

▪ Kennedy continued Cold War policies

▪ Tried to get soviets to stop nuclear testing

▪ Needs a better response to the change in fighting techniques

Flexible Response

▪ Many countries that received aid from the Soviets used Guerrilla Warfare.

▪ Responds with flexible response-special military forces trained in guerilla warfare

▪ Creates Special Forces-Green Berets

Prevent Communism through Aid

▪ Like Marshal Plan, Kennedy believed aid in poor countries like Africa, L.A., and Asia would prevent growth of communism

▪ Established Peace Corp

▪ Alliance for Progress- help “free” L.A. countries get rid of poverty.

Cold War in Cuba

▪ Fidel Castro seized power in 1959. Got support from Soviets.

▪ US felt threatened because Cuba is 90 miles from Florida

▪ CIA recites Cuban exiles to go back to Cuba and overthrow Castro

Bay of Pigs

▪ Kennedy takes advice from military aides and allows this attack.

▪ They land in the Bay of Pigs in Cuba.

▪ Complete disaster.

▪ Resulted in 3 things; Kennedy doesn’t trust military aides, L.A. countries lose trust in Kennedy, Soviets see Kennedy as weak.

Berlin War

▪ Since WWII city of Berlin divided.

▪ Khrushchev (soviets) order all westerners out of Berlin.

▪ Many people fled to the west.

▪ To prevent this they build a concrete wall known as the Berlin Wall to keep people in.

Cuban Missile Crises

▪ Spy planes reveal Cuba was building missile sites aimed for US.

▪ Kennedy orders navy blockade to prevent anything coming in from the Soviets.

▪ Warned Soviets with nuclear counter attack if soviets bombed

Cuban Missile crises cont.

▪ Crises lasted 5 days. Both countries very close to WWII.

▪ US. Promises to remove missiles sites in Turkey (which were pointed at Soviets) and Soviets would remove missiles from Cuba.

▪ Hot line was put in between US and USSR for faster communications

▪ http://video.pbs.org/video/2289498535/