Chapter 28

JFK and the Cold War

The 1960 CampaignThe 1960 Campaign

• The Republican Party Nominates former Vice President Richard Nixon.

• The Democratic Party Nominates the Senator from Massachusetts, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Television Coverage and the 1960 election

• Pre-debates - who was leading the polls?

• Debates - How did the candidates appear? Who was winning on radio and who was winning on TV?

• Post Debates – Who wins?

• Richard Nixon led the early polls.

• Showed a vibrant JFK, and a weary burned out Nixon. Radio listeners thought Nixon won, and TV viewers felt that JFK won.

• JFK wins a narrow victory!

Television changes America!

The Kennedy Administration

• Lyndon B. Johnson – Vice President

• Robert F. Kennedy – Attorney General (JFK’s Most trusted advisor)

• Lyndon B. JohnsonLyndon B. Johnson • Robert KennedyRobert Kennedy

JFK’s Foreign Policy

• Flexible Response – Kennedy wanted to have a number of options in case of an international crisis.

Foreign Aid

• Designed to help 3rd world countries and block Soviet influence.

• Peace Corps - Americans would volunteer for 2 years and work in these developing countries.

• Alliance for Progress – Offered billions of dollars to aid Latin America.

The Bay of PigsThe Bay of Pigs

• Read page 899

• What was the Bay of Pigs invasion? Why did it fail?

The Berlin WallThe Berlin Wall

• This barrier had prevented the mass departure of East Germans to the West through Berlin. This became the most widely recognized symbol of the Cold War!

The Cuban Missile CrisisThe Cuban Missile Crisis

• Read Pages 901 – 902!

• What was the Cuban Missile Crisis? How did this almost lead up to a Nuclear War?