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Name:_____________________________________________ Date:_______________ Class:_____________
The Cold War and President JFK
John F. Kennedy
- In 1960, Eisenhower’s Vice President, Richard Nixon, ran for the Republican Party for the Presidency.
He faced off against a young Democrat named John F. Kennedy.
- They had the first televised Presidential debate. Television greatly helped JFK due to his youthful
appearance and communication skills.
-
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Policies of JFK
- JFK supported one of the chief issues of his day, the Civil Rights Movement. He wanted to see Jim Crow
Segregation end and for African Americans to possess the rights they deserved.
- As the Cold War continued, JFK was afraid impoverished countries would embrace Communism. He
encouraged aid to be given to these nations and for Americans to volunteer to work in groups like the
Peace Corps to assist these countries.
-
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The Bay of Pigs
- Fidel Castro made Cuba Communist, with the help of the USSR. In 1960, Eisenhower let the CIA train
Cuban exiles to invade and try to gain control over Cuba.
- In April of 1961, JFK allowed the group to invade Cuba. However, the Soviet Union gave aid to Cuba and
the exiles were crushed by Castro.
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The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962
- The USSR and Cuba began working together to secure the Communist government of Cuba.
- The USSR wanted to be Cuba’s ally because it would give the Soviet Union a close area to keep nuclear
weapons pointed at the USA.
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The End of the Cuban Missile Crisis
- JFK sent a blockade around Cuba. Many feared that nuclear war was about to erupt between the USA
and the USSR.
-
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Cuba remained an independent, Communist government. It is still a Communist government today.
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All Rights Reserved.
Page 2
The Berlin Wall
- After the USSR was not able to maintain a nuclear presence in Cuba, they began to be more aggressive
with their control of Eastern Europe.
- Khrushchev began to take actions to try and control the border of West Berlin. He was angry that many
were fleeing to West Berlin to escape Communism.
-
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The Space Race
- The USSR was the first nation to launch a Satellite, Sputnik, into space in 1957.
-
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-
The USA felt that the Soviets were gaining an edge in space technology. JFK promised that the USA
would be the first to the moon. His promise was fulfilled in 1969 as Neil Armstrong became the first
human ever to walk on the moon.
The Loss of a President
- On November 22, 1963, while on a trip to Dallas, JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.
- Oswald’s motives were not well known. However, he was a former Marine who had traveled to the USSR
and supported their ideology.
-
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_________________________________________________________________________
Copyright, USHistoryTeachers.com
All Rights Reserved.
Page 3
Name:_____________________________________________ Date:_______________ Class:_____________
Full Notes:
The Cold War and President JFK
John F. Kennedy
- In 1960, Eisenhower’s Vice President, Richard Nixon, ran for the Republican Party for the Presidency.
He faced off against a young Democrat named John F. Kennedy.
- They had the first televised Presidential debate. Television greatly helped JFK due to his youthful
appearance and communication skills.
-
JFK was only 43 years old when he became President. He became the icon for change in
the USA. He asserted in his inaugural address that, “The torch has been passed to a new
generation.”
Policies of JFK
- JFK supported one of the chief issues of his day, the Civil Rights Movement. He wanted to see Jim Crow
Segregation end and for African Americans to possess the rights they deserved.
- As the Cold War continued, JFK was afraid impoverished countries would embrace Communism. He
encouraged aid to be given to these nations and for Americans to volunteer to work in groups like the
Peace Corps to assist these countries.
-
Instead of Brinkmanship, JFK wanted the USA to be able to fight ground wars as well, not
just threaten the USSR with nuclear annihilation. This strategy was called the “Flexible
Response.”
The Bay of Pigs
- Fidel Castro made Cuba Communist, with the help of the USSR. In 1960, Eisenhower let the CIA train
Cuban exiles to invade and try to gain control over Cuba.
- In April of 1961, JFK allowed the group to invade Cuba. However, the Soviet Union gave aid to Cuba and
the exiles were crushed by Castro.
-
This was a massive failure and embarrassment for the USA. Cuba remained under
Communist control.
The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962
- The USSR and Cuba began working together to secure the Communist government of Cuba.
- The USSR wanted to be Cuba’s ally because it would give the Soviet Union a close area to keep nuclear
weapons pointed at the USA.
-
Nikita Khrushchev of the USSR sent missiles to be planted in Cuba and pointed at the USA.
The End of the Cuban Missile Crisis
- JFK sent a blockade around Cuba. Many feared that nuclear war was about to erupt between the USA
and the USSR.
-
Khrushchev and JFK reached an agreement to remove the missiles, if the USA decided not
to invade Cuba. It was learned later in history that the USA also secretly removed missiles in
Turkey to appease the USSR too.
-
Cuba remained an independent, Communist government. It is still a Communist government today.
Copyright, USHistoryTeachers.com
All Rights Reserved.
Page 4
The Berlin Wall
- After the USSR was not able to maintain a nuclear presence in Cuba, they began to be more aggressive
with their control of Eastern Europe.
- Khrushchev began to take actions to try and control the border of West Berlin. He was angry that many
were fleeing to West Berlin to escape Communism.
-
He built the Berlin Wall to try to ensure that people could not flee to the West to pursue
freedom and Democracy.
The Space Race
- The USSR was the first nation to launch a Satellite, Sputnik, into space in 1957.
-
Also, the USSR was the first nation on Earth to put a man in space. Soviet Cosmonaut, Yuri
Gagarin, made it to space in 1961.
-
The USA felt that the Soviets were gaining an edge in space technology. JFK promised that the USA
would be the first to the moon. His promise was fulfilled in 1969 as Neil Armstrong became the first
human ever to walk on the moon.
The Loss of a President
- On November 22, 1963, while on a trip to Dallas, JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.
- Oswald’s motives were not well known. However, he was a former Marine who had traveled to the USSR
and supported their ideology.
-
A man named Jack Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald while he was under arrest.
Copyright, USHistoryTeachers.com
All Rights Reserved.