Jfk Foreign Policy

1. 6 Stages to JFK’s Foreign Policy
1. Nukes
2. Conventional Weapons
3. Covert Operations
4. Economic Aid
5. Peace Corps
6. Diplomacy

2. JFK wanted a variety of options to deal with
international conflicts
Unlike Ike-didn’t want nukes to be the only option
Failure of Brinkmanship
▪Hungary (1956)
Missile Gap?? Were the Russians ahead?
1961-63 ICBM’s-could annihilate USSR
1963-424 ICBM’s

3. 2. Conventional
Weapons-Increase in
Defense Budget by 15%
3. Green Berets created
for covert operations
Special Military Units for
wars of national liberation
Vietnam, Cuba

4. Alliance for Progress
Marshall Plan for Latin
America
$20 Billion in aid
Most of the $$ never got
to the people that
needed it!

5. Sent Young volunteers to
work in developing
countries for 2 years
Taught people
democracy and
capitalism
First went to Ghana &
Tanzania
Diplomacy-work through
communication to solve
international problems

6. 1. Space Program
2. Bay of Pigs
3. Berlin Crisis

7. 1959-USSR won space
race with Sputnik
April 12, 1961
Yuri Gagarin (USSR)
completes first orbit of the
Earth
May 5, 1961
Alan Shepard is first
American into outer space
JFK’s Goal-To land a man on
the moon and bring him back
by the end of the decade.

8. JFK criticized Ike for
being soft on Cuba
Afraid Communism might
spread
Ike called for invasion
worked in Guatemala
JFK hoped that the invasion
would foster a revolution

9. CIA trains 1453
commandos (Cuban
refugees)
Castro had 2500 in army &
200,000 in militia
In 72 hours, the invasion
was over
CIA wanted to respond
with air strikes, JFK said
no-feared a strike against
West Berlin

10. Unlike Ike, JFK took full
responsibility
Popularity rose to 83%
JFK sent $53 million to Cuba
for 1100 prisoners
Cuba became top US priority
Operation Mongoose
10 million set aside to kill
Castro
By 1975, US tried to kill
Castro 24 times

11. JFK & Khruschev met
for the 1
st
time
Khruschev thought
that he could push JFK
around
Bay of Pigs
3 Days of meetings

12. Khruschev wants Berlin to
be a “free city”
“If JFK wants a war, he’ll be
the last President of the US”
Real Problem-2000 people
leaving Berlin every day
US Tanks faced off against
USSR tanks
"Freedom has many
difficulties and democracy is
not perfect, but we have never
had to put a wall up to keep
our people in."
“Ich bin ein Berliner.”

13. Berlin Wall constructed
by USSR
Began August 12, 1961
JFK- “A wall is a hell of a
lot better than a war”
Wall seen as a failure
▪89 people killed trying to
cross the wall

14. Vietnam is the Cornerstone of the Free World
in SE Asia
Assassination of Diem-Nov. 1, 1963
16,000 Advisors
Aid-$1.5 Billion

15. This is the closest that
we have ever gotten to
WWIII
Khruschev said that the
only way to save Cuba
was with nuclear
weapons
Castro feared another US
invasion
Discussed by JFK in 1962

17. August 22
US confirms reports of
increased USSR activity in &
around Cuba
October 14
U-2 Flights confirm missiles
on launching pads all
pointing at US
▪48 medium range (1000 miles)
▪32 long range (2000 miles)

18. What should JFK do?
October 22
JFK addressed the nation about USSR threat
Announced a quarantine of Cuba
Surrounded Cuba w/ 180 warships
JFK demanded the immediate removal of the
missiles

20. USSR ships stop short of
blockade
12/25 changed course
Rest had no missiles
Rusk “We were eyeball to
eyeball and I think that the
other guy blinked”
US ship dropped depth
charges on USSR sub?
Orders to fire?

21. Khruschev announces
that the weapons will
be returned to USSR
JFK was best President
since FDR
USSR
▪US removes all missiles
from Turkey
▪US promises never to
invade Cuba again
USA
▪UN inspections to make
sure all missiles are gone!

22. 1. Limited Test Ban Treaty
US, USSR, GB-limited tests of nukes in atmosphere, outer
space, or underwater
2. Hotline Established
Direct, unbreakable connection between US/USSR
3. Relations worse w/ USSR
No trade at all w/ Cuba, failed assassination attempt on
Castro in Paris-Nov. 22, 1963
4. USSR builds up so that they never back down
again
Focuses economy on weapons and military development
JFK popularity up to 74%

23. “Let every nation know,
whether it wishes us well
or ill, that we shall pay any
price, bear any burden,
meet any hardship,
support any friend, oppose
any foe, in order to assure
the survival and the
success of liberty.”
It’s Us against them and we
need to do whatever
possible…

24. June 11, 1963
JFK needed a way to
try and bring the
Russians to the peace
table.
Opened the idea to
relaxed tensions with
the Russians
Détente