Challenges to America Power (1960-1963) Flashcards
When was the Vienna summit, who was there, and what was discussed?
- June 4th 1961
- JFK and Khrushchev met for the first time
- The problem with Berlin (which Ike failed to resolve), Cuba, and Laos were discussed
What was the Berlin Wall?
- On 13 August 1961, barbed wire was out around the border of East and West Berlin, and a wall was built over the next few days
- Anyone caught trying to cross the border without a permit could face imprisonment or get shot
How did Kennedy react to the Berlin Wall?
- He stayed calm as he believed a wall was better than a war
- He instructed Dean Rusk (Secretary of State) to exploit the situation for propaganda as much as possible
How did Khrushchev view Kennedy due to his reaction to the Berlin Wall?
Khrushchev saw Kennedy’s lack of action as proof that he was weak when it came to international relations and could be easily exploited
What was the ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech?
- In June 1963, JFK travelled to West Berlin to give a speech reiterating the US’s commitment to the city
- There were 450,000 people in the crowd
- The title can also be translated to ‘I am a jam donut’ which obscures the meaning of the speech
How long did Berlin remain divided after the ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech?
36 years
How did Fidel Castro take power in Cuba?
- In January 1959, Castro deposed Fulgencio Batista (US-backed dictator of Cuba)
- This meant that a socialist country was less than 100 miles from Florida)
- Castro nationalised loads of American businesses and Batista’s allies fled to the US
What did Ike try to do in Cuba?
He instructed the CIA to try to overthrow Castro with the Cuban exiles that had come to Florida but was willing to leave the situation as he only had 3 months of his presidency left
What was the Bay of Pigs invasion?
- In April 1961, there was an invasion at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba (launched by JFK who was trying to carry out Ike’s CIA plan)
- It was a massive failure as most of the exiles were caught and those who weren’t couldn’t convince the population to go against Castro
How did the Bay of Pigs incident affect superpower relations?
- It made Khrushchev think that Kennedy was weak (which was reiterated through his reaction to the Berlin Wall)
- This resulted in Khrushchev developing a deeper relationship with Castro and placing Soviet missiles on Cuba in October 1962
What is Ex-Comm?
The Executive Committee of the National Security Council was a group of advisors formed by Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis to provide strategic guidance and decision-making
How did the Cuban Missile Crisis unfold?
- 15th Oct 1962: A U-2 Spy plane discovers missiles in Cuba
- 18th Oct 1962: Bobby Kennedy meets with Andrei Gromyko (Soviet Foreign Minister) who tells him that the missiles are purely for Cuba’s protection
- 22nd Oct 1962: JFK gives a televised speech to the nation
- 24th Oct 1962: Khrushchev refuses to remove the missiles from Cuba
- 26th - 28th Oct 1962: Khrushchev sends 2 telegrams with ultimatums, and finally agrees to remove the missiles
What did Khrushchev say in his telegrams in October 1962 telegrams and how did Kennedy respond?
- On Oct 26th 1962, Khrushchev offered to dismantle the sites as long as JFK promised not to invade Cuba
- ON Oct 27th 1962, after a U-2 plane is shot down over Cuba, Khrushchev sends another telegram asking Kennedy to dismantle his missiles in Turkey
- JFK agrees to both but removes the missiles from Turkey covertly
How did Kennedy come out after the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Although he had to remove the US missiles situated in Turkey and Italy, he did this secretly, so he still looked good to the public for the first time since the Bay of Pigs incident
How did Khrushchev come out after the Cuban Missile Crisis?
I weakened him and he was shunned by the public, eventually being deposed two years after the crisis
When did the Cuban Missile Crisis end?
28th October 1962 with Khrushchev agreeing to Kennedy’s arrangement
Who was the South Vietnamese leader and why was he hated?
- Ngo Dinh Diem
- Although he had US support, the people in the country disliked him due to his persecution of the Muslim majority
- By 1960, the communist North was encouraging rebellion in the South
How did Kennedy deal with Vietnam?
He saw it as a military problem rather than a diplomatic one and sent more advisors and aid to the country
How many advisers were in South Vietnam by 1963 and what did they do?
- The amount increased from 800 at the start of JFK’s presidency to 23,000 by 1963 to add to the 250,000 South Vietnamese army
- They trained the Vietnamese army to fight against Vietcong
What was Vietcong?
A communist army and guerilla force which operated in South Vietnam and was supported by North Vietnam
How did Kennedy counter the Vietcong’s guerilla warfare?
- He adopted a tactic of ‘flexible response’
- One of these was known as ‘strategic hamlets’ which moved Vietnamese peasants to fortified villages protected by the South Vietnamese army
How did the Vietnamese peasants react to Kennedy’s ‘strategic hamlets’?
They resented it, which increased their liking for the Vietcong
The Vietcong also gained their support by paying for their food and treating them well
Why did the US gain international criticism for their support to Diem?
His persecution of the Buddhists resulted in the self-immolation (self-sacrifice) of a Buddhist monk in 1963
How did Ngo Dinh Diem die?
He was assassinated by one of his generals a few weeks before Kennedy
The US discovered the plan of his assassination but failed to intervene in time
Which international leaders warned Kennedy not to get involved in Vietnam?
- Macmillan (British Prime Minister)
- Charles de Gaulle (the French leader)
