KENNEDY & CRISISBerlin Wall

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Background• Fidel Castro

was in power in Cuba.

• Came to power after a guerrilla war, promised to restore people’s rights and freedoms

• Once in power, he seized private businesses and made overtures to Soviet Union.

Kennedy • Kennedy learned

that the CIA was training troops to invade Cuba and topple Castro.

• His advisors were mixed.

• Kennedy was worried about Communism spreading to Latin America.

• Kennedy gave the go-ahead.

The Invasion• Bay of Pigs

invasion failed.• Information was

leaked early.• Air strikes failed.• Castro prepared

for a land attack.• Invaders were

captured and ransomed back to United States.

• Strengthened Castro’s ties to the Soviet Union

Kennedy & the Cold War Timeline

1960: November -- John F. Kennedy elected President

1961: April -- Bay of Pigs invasion

1961: July -- Kennedy requests 25% spending increase for military

1961: August 13 -- Berlin border closed

1961: August 17 -- Construction of Berlin Wall begins

The Berlin Crisis

Berlin’s Significance Khrushchev demanded that the

United States recognize East Germany as an independent Communist nation.

West Berlin was an island of freedom.

Many East Germans fled to West Germany through Berlin.

Kennedy refused to be bullied, sent troops into West Germany, built nuclear shelters, and waited for Khrushchev’s next move.

The Berlin Wall On August 13, 1961,

Khrushchev closed the crossing points between East and West Berlin.

A high concrete wall was built to prevent further escapes to freedom.

Kennedy sent more troops, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson visited West Berlin.

Kennedy said “A wall is a … lot better than a war.”

Over time, the wall was extended and fortified.

The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961

THE BERLIN WALL

Focus on refugees from East Germany or East Berlin to West1949-129,2451951- 165,6481953- 331,3901955- 252,8701957- 261,6221959- 143,917

1961- 207,0261962- 21,3561963- 42,6321964- 41,876

• In an attempt to escape and gain access to West Berlin a large network of tunnels were built.

• They were dug mostly by college students but many people used them. The first known successful tunnel was dug in a grave yard.

• This tunnel was found after a women accidentally dropped into the tunnel and left her baby in a carriage on top.

• The tunnel was then sealed off.

• The most successful tunnel was in a basement of a house at 60 Westerstrasse.

• There were 29 people freed from this location alone.

Flying Over the Wall The Wetzel’s and Strelczyk’s escape through ingenuity. Bought cloth and bed sheets to make a balloon. 4 propane tanks. Floated into West Berlin. Due to this attempt the purchase of light weight cloth was strictly controlled.

Did Kennedy really mind the wall?“A wall is better than a war”.5000 attempted escape100 died

Results Important results for Berlin, Germany

and the Cold War Berlin was divided, free access ended

between East and West, many families split, many attempted to escape to the West-between 1961 and 1989.

200 (estimated) people died trying to cross the Berlin Wall

Results cont’d Kennedy accepted the Soviet action. He refused

to use US troops to pull down the wall to avoid war.

Kennedy looked weak but West turned it into propaganda – why if Communism was so attractive was a wall needed?

1963 – Kennedy visited West Berlin – pledged continued support – ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ (I am a Berliner) – famous speech

Khrushchev lost face by failing to remove the West from Berlin