Eisenhower & the Cold War

■In 1952, World War II hero Dwight Eisenhower was elected president–At home, he tried to

promote the “good times” of the 1950seconomic boom

–In foreign policy, he took a strong stand against Communism

Brinksmanship■Eisenhower began a “New Look”

to fight the Cold War: –He invested heavily in new long-

range nuclear missiles (ICBMs)–In foreign policy, he used veiled

threats of nuclear war to achieve his goals (called brinksmanship)

–In case of a Soviet attack, the U.S. would use “massive retaliation” thus making the use of nuclear weapons unlikely on either side

The stockpiling of ICBMs Nuclear submarines

What are the stakes of war? Massive Retaliation?

Mutual Assured Destruction?

Americans were anxious by the threat of nuclear war & built

fallout shelters for protection

Covert CIA Operations■In addition to relying on nuclear

weapons, Eisenhower increased the role of the CIA in foreign policy

–The CIA spied on foreign nations & carried out covert operations to weaken communist governments

–The CIA led successful coups in Iran & Guatemala and tried to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba

The Eisenhower Doctrine■After Stalin’s death in 1953, new

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev began to challenge U.S. influence:–In 1955, the USSR formed the

Warsaw Pact alliance–In 1956, the Soviet military violently

suppressed an anti-communist revolt in Hungary

–In 1956, the USSR began to make moves towards the Middle East

In 1957, the president issued the Eisenhower Doctrine, pledging the USA to protect the

Middle East from Communism

Sputnik & the Space Race■In 1957, the USSR launched the

1st space satellite, Sputnik I–People feared that the U.S. had

lost its competitive edge –The National Aeronautics & Space National Aeronautics & Space

AdministrationAdministration (NASA) was formed in 1958 to catch up to the Soviets

–National Defense Education ActNational Defense Education Act was created to promote math, science, & technology education

Advanced placement (AP) classes were created as a result of the NDEA

The “space race” intensified the Cold War between USA & USSRThe Original Seven NASA Mercury Astronauts

■Essential Question:

–How did President Kennedy’s “New Frontier” agenda change America in the 1960s?

■Warm-Up Question:

–What does it take to be a “great” president?

America by 1960■By 1960, Americans were anxious

about the changes that had taken place in the 1950s:–The economic boom of the

1950s dipped into a recession –Rock ‘n’ roll music scared parents–Civil rights protests increased

fears of racial violence–Eisenhower’s foreign policies

made many people wonder if America was losing the Cold War

Soviet launch of Sputnik in 1957

The rise of Fidel Castro in Cuba in 1959

Communism in Vietnam

Use of brinksmanship & build up of ICBMs led to fears of a nuclear attack The U-2 incident

The Election of 1960■The election of 1960 marked a turning

point in U.S. politics

Republican Richard Nixon offered experience• Served 8 years as VP• Had foreign policy

experience during the critical stages of the Cold War

• Promised to keep gov’t spending & taxes low

Democrat John F. Kennedy offered youth & hope• Served 2 Senate terms • Had no foreign policy

experience; Seen as inexperienced; Catholic

• But, offered active leadership to address America’s problems

JFK campaign commercial (1.00)

The Election of 1960■The election of 1960 marked a turning

point in U.S. politics

1960 was the 1st time presidential debates were on TV • TV debates helped

JFK win the election• 1960 marked the

beginning of TV dominance in politics

“That night image replaced the printed word as the natural language of politics”

—Journalist Russell Baker

Analysis of JFK’s Inaugural Address, 1961■Listen to the audio excerpt from JFK’s

inaugural address to the nation in 1961 & answer the following questions:–Based on JFK’s speech, identify at least

3 goals he has as president ?

The New Frontier ■President Kennedy represented

youth, charisma, hope, & a new approach to government

JFK’s family captivated the nation

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy created new standards of American fashion for women

The nation adored their two young children

JFK’s “New Frontier”■President Kennedy’s vision for America

was called the “New Frontier”

–He filled out his cabinet &

White House staff with the “best & the brightest” political minds in America

JFK’s “New Frontier”■At home, President Kennedy wanted

to improve the lives of all Americans:–After the violence in Birmingham in

1963, JFK committed to create the Civil Rights Act

–He wanted to wage a “war on poverty” to help close the gap between the rich & the poor

JFK’s “New Frontier”■In the Cold War, JFK took a strong

stand against the Soviet Union:–He believed that the USSR had

more ICBMs (“missile gap”) & better space technology

–He wanted a “flexible response” to fight the Cold War: more ICBMs but also a bigger military

–He wanted a “first strike capability” against the USSR, (rather than “mutually assured destruction”)

The actual missile gap

The Berlin Crisis, 1961■In JFK’s first year in office, Soviet

leader Khrushchev threatened to cut off access to West Berlin

–JFK vowed to never give up access to West Berlin

–Rather than blockade the city, Communist leaders built the Berlin Wall in 1961 to keep East Germans out of West Berlin

“Ich bin ein Berliner”—JFK, 1963

Walls and other barriers 10–15 feet high surrounded West Berlin. The length of the barriers around the city totaled about 110 miles

The “death strip” stretched like a barren moat around West Berlin, with patrols, floodlights, electric fences, and vehicle

traps between the inner and outer walls

The Bay of Pigs Invasion, 1961■In 1959, Fidel Castro gained control of

Cuba, seized property, & took aid from Khrushchev in the Soviet Union

Cuba: The Bay of Pigs Invasion

■In 1959, Fidel Castro gained control of Cuba, seized property, & took aid from Khrushchev in the Soviet Union–Under Eisenhower, the CIA trained

Cuban exiles to invade the island & overthrow of Castro

–In 1961, JFK authorized the plan, but the Bay of Pigs invasion failed after JFK called off air strikes on Cuba

JFK went on TV & took responsibility for the failure at the Bay of Pigs

The Cuban Missile Crisis■After the failure at the Bay of Pigs,

Soviet leader Khrushchev promised to defend Cuba from the USA

■In 1962, U.S. spy planes revealed nuclear missile camps in Cuba –If assembled, Soviet ICBMs in

Cuba would give the USSR first strike capability on U.S. targets

–JFK warned that he would not allow nuclear missiles in Cuba

The Cuban Missile Crisis

The potential threat: Cuba with Soviet-provided military equipment & nuclear missiles

Not all missiles in Cuba were operational, but Khrushchev shipped more missiles to Cuba

Quick Class Discussion: How should President Kennedy respond?

•Advisors presented JFK with several options•What are the positives/negatives of each?•What should JFK do? Rank order these options

Naval blockade to keep out the in-route Soviet missiles

Diplomacy: trade ICBMs in Cuba for

ours in Turkey?

Immediate air strike on existing missile sites

Full military invasion of Cuba; Take out Castro

Kennedy announced a quarantine (blockade) to keep more missiles out & demanded that the Soviets remove the missiles already in Cuba

Soviet ships, escorted by nuclear-equipped submarines, soon approached the quarantine

line & the world waited for World War III

Cuban Missile Crisis■The standoff ended when a deal

was reached:–Soviet ships turned around at the

last minute & Khrushchev removed its missiles from Cuba

–JFK promised that the U.S. would not invade Cuba & secretly agreed to remove ICBMs from Turkey

■The crisis ended as a victory for JFK, but it revealed how close the two sides came to nuclear war

JFK & the Cold War■President Kennedy fought the

Cold War in other ways:–JFK created the Peace Corps in

1961 to send humanitarian aid & improve U.S. relations with under-developed nations

–In 1962, JFK committed the U.S. to catch the USSR in the space race by landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade

–U.S. landed on the moon in 1969

■Essential Question:

–How did the assassination of President John F. Kennedy impact the United States?

■Warm-Up Question:

–How effectively did Kennedy handle the Cold War during his presidency?

On Nov 22, 1963 John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas

The Assassination of JFK■On Nov 22, 1963 John F. Kennedy

was assassinated in Dallas, Texas■Chronology of events:

–Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested–VP Lyndon Johnson was sworn

in as president on Air Force One–Two days later, Oswald was

killed by Jack Ruby–After a 10 month investigation,

the Warren Report stated that Oswald was a “lone gunman”

Lincoln• Lincoln was elected to Congress

in 1846 & as President in 1860• He was directly concerned with

Civil Rights• Lincoln was shot in the head in

front of his wife on a Friday• Lincoln shot in the Ford Theatre• The assassin, John Wilkes

Booth, was known by three names of 15 letters

• Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and fled to a warehouse (barn)

• Booth was killed before being brought to trial

• There were theories that Booth was part of a greater conspiracy

• Lincoln's successor was Andrew Johnson, born in 1808

Kennedy • Kennedy was elected to Congress

in 1946 & as President in 1960• He was directly concerned with

Civil Rights• Kennedy was shot in the head in

front of his wife on a Friday• Kennedy shot in a Lincoln (Ford)• The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald,

was known by three names of 15 letters

• Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and fled to a theater

• Oswald was killed before being brought to trial

• There were theories that Oswald was part of a greater conspiracy

• Kennedy's successor was Lyndon Johnson, born in 1908

JFK Conspiracy

Theories

For more information on JFK conspiracy theories, check

out this link

The Impact of the Assassination

The Impact of the Assassination■JFK’s assassination had important

consequences for America:–The “martyrdom” of JFK put

pressure on Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964

–VP Lyndon Johnson carried out JFK’s “war on poverty”

–LBJ enacted his own program called the “Great Society” with civil rights, medical insurance, environmental, & social programs

The Legacy of JFK■What was the legacy of JFK? Did Kennedy

accomplish his goals? How effective was he as president? –In groups, answer these questions by

completing the chart in your notes–Brainstorm the goals of JFK & identify if

or how he accomplished the goal–Next, give JFK a “grade” for each of these

goals & an overall “grade” as president

■Essential Question:

–What was the impact of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” program?

■Warm-Up Question:

–If JFK did not live long enough to see most of his domestic programs created, what was his contribution as a president?

President Lyndon Johnson ■In 1963, LBJ finished the last year

of JFK’s presidency & then ran for president in the 1964 election:–His opponent was conservative

Republican Barry Goldwater who talked about strongly resisting the USSR with nuclear weapons

–Johnson won & began his “Great Society,” the broadest series of social reforms since FDR’s New Deal

Lyndon Johnson & the Great Society■What were the significant programs of

President Johnson’s “Great Society”?–In groups, examine each of the placards

& take notes in the graphic organizer–After you have seen all 9 stations, rank

order the programs in terms of most significant (#1) to least significant (#9)