Chapter 20 Section 1 Notes

Open Ended

During Cold War crises of the 1960s, people lived with the threat of imminent destruction in a nuclear war. 

How do you think the perception of that threat affected American politics and everyday life? List 5 effects.

Chapter 20 Section 1

Objective(s):
1) Identify the factors that contributed to Kennedy’s election in
1960.
2) Describe the new military policy of the Kennedy administration.
3) Summarize the crises that developed over Cuba.
4) Explain the Cold War symbolism of Berlin in the early 1960s.

The Election of 1960

THE TELEVISED DEBATE AFFECTS
VOTES

● 1960, Eisenhower term coming to end

● Republican - Richard Nixon

● Democrat - John F. Kennedy

● Kennedy young (43), Roman Catholic

Senator from Massachusetts

● Television debate with Nixon

● 70 million watched

Audio Response

What effect do you think the televised debate would have on American politics?

Open Audio Recorder

The Election of 1960

KENNEDY AND CIVIL RIGHTS

● October: Atlanta Georgia

● Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. arrested

● Sat at segregated lunch counter with 33 other

African-Americans

● Sentenced to months of hard labor

● Eisenhower refused to intervene

● Nixon had no public position (stance)

● Kennedy called King’s wife

● Helped secure votes in Midwest and South

The Camelot Years

THE KENNEDY MYSTIQUE

● Kennedy wins presidency by less than

119,000 votes

● “And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what

your country can do for you—ask what you
can do for your country.”

● He could read 1,600 words per minute,

people joined speed reading classes

● Wife was idolized for fashion and culture

● “Camelot”

Audio Response

What factors help explain the public’s fascination with the Kennedys?

Open Audio Recorder

A New Military Policy

DEFINING A MILITARY STRATEGY

● Kennedy focused on Cold War

● Felt Eisenhower had not done enough

● Worried about third world countries

● third world countries: developing nations not

allied with either the United States or the
Soviet Union

A New Military Policy

DEFINING A MILITARY STRATEGY

● Developed “flexible response”

● Increased defense spending to boost

conventional military

● Created special forces

● Enabled United States to fight limited wars

around world

● Maintained balance of nuclear power with

Soviet Union

Audio Response

What was the goal of the doctrine of flexible response?

Open Audio Recorder

Crises over Cuba

THE CUBAN DILEMMA

● Fidel Castro

● Gained power with promise of democracy

● January 3, 1961, President Eisenhower cut

off diplomatic relations (about 2 weeks
before Kennedy takes office)

● Castro seized control of oil refineries and

commercial farms

● About 10% of population went into exile

(mostly to US)

Crises over Cuba

THE BAY OF PIGS

● March 1960, Eisenhower gave CIA

permission to train exiles

● Kennedy approved

● April 17, 1961 - about 1,400 exiles attacked

at the Bay of Pigs (Bahia de Cochinos)

● Nothing went right

● No air support, advance party - faced 25,000

troops

● Kennedy took blame

● Paid $53 million in food and medical

supplies for captured commandos

Audio Response

What were the consequences of the failed invasion for the United States?

Open Audio Recorder

Crises over Cuba

THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

● Castro had powerful ally in Soviet Union

● Summer of 1962, flow of Soviet weapons

increased (nuclear as well)

● October 14, photos show Soviet missile

bases in Cuba with missiles ready to launch

● October 22, Kennedy tells nation he plans to

remove bases

● Any missile attack from Cuba will trigger

all-out attack against Soviet Union

Crises over Cuba

THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

● For next 6 days, world faced possible nuclear

war

● More Soviet ships (possibly with more

missiles) head to Cuba

● US Navy prepare to quarantine Cuba

● Soviet ships stop to avoid confrontation

● Secretary of State Dean Rusk: “We are

eyeball to eyeball, and the other fellow just
blinked.”

Crises over Cuba

THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

● Khrushchev will remove missiles if US does

not invade Cuba

● US agrees to remove missiles from Turkey

● Robert Kennedy: “For a moment, the world

had stood still, and now it was going around
again.”

Crises over Cuba

KENNEDY AND KHRUSHCHEV TAKE
THE HEAT

● Khrushchev’s and Kennedy’s reputation

tarnished

● Kennedy criticized for brinkmanship when

private talks might have worked

● Criticized for not invading Cuba

● Later learned (1990s) CIA underestimated

number of Soviet troops and missiles on
Cuba

● November 1962, Castro closed Cuba to

exiles

Audio Response

What were the results of the Cuban missile crisis?

Open Audio Recorder

Crisis over Berlin

THE BERLIN CRISIS

● Berlin wall - a concrete wall topped with

barbed wire that cut Berlin in two

● 1961, almost 3 million people flee East

Berlin to West Berlin

● East Germany’s government failing

● Economy dangerously weakened

● June 1961, Khrushchev wants peace treaty

with East Berlin to close all access to West
Berlin

● Kennedy refuses

Crisis over Berlin

THE BERLIN CRISIS

● Kennedy thinks Khrushchev can’t do

anything

● Just after midnight on August 13, 1961 East

German troops being to build wall

● Wall slowed fleeing of citizens

● Wall became symbol of Communist

oppression

Audio Response

What led Khrushchev to erect the Berlin Wall?

Open Audio Recorder

Crisis over Berlin

SEARCHING FOR WAYS TO EASE
TENSIONS

● 1963, US and Soviet Union establish

“hotline”

● 1963, Limited Test Ban Treaty: barred

nuclear testing in the atmosphere

Exit Ticket

Examine the
cartoon of
Kennedy (left)
facing off with
Khrushchev and
Castro. What do
you think the
cartoonist was
trying to convey?

Open Ended

Exit Ticket

Examine the cartoon of Kennedy facing off with Khrushchev and Castro. What do you think the cartoonist was trying to convey?

Drag and Drop

​

Placeholder

accepted Soviet aid for Cuba.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Fidel Castro

John F. Kennedy

Richard M. Nixon

Nikita Khrushchev

Match

Match the following

• This involved an invasion of Cuba.

• He lost the 1960 presidential election.

• This separated East Germany from West Germany.

• He squared off against Kennedy during the Berlin crisis.

• This barred nuclear testing in the atmosphere.

Bay of Pigs

Richard M. Nixon

Berlin Wall

Nikita Khrushchev

Limited Test Ban Treaty

• Bay of Pigs

• Richard M. Nixon

• Berlin Wall

• Nikita Khrushchev

• Limited Test Ban Treaty

Match

Match the following

• This military strategy was adopted during the Kennedy presidency.

• This was a direct communication link set up during Kennedy’s presidency.

• His religious beliefs were an important issue of the 1960 presidential campaign.

• He accepted Soviet aid for Cuba.

• He built the wall that separated Germany.

flexible response

hot line

Richard M. Nixon

Fidel Castro

Nikita Khrushchev

• flexible response

• hot line

• Richard M. Nixon

• Fidel Castro

• Nikita Khrushchev