Transcript Document
Cold War Conflicts Cuban Missile Crisis During the JFK administration, the Cold War will begin to reach frightening levels In 1959 Cuban Revolutionairy overthrows Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista to set up a totalitarian regime in Cuba -> Supported by the USSR Direct threat to the United States Socialist regime with Communist contacts 90 miles off coast of Florida Stalemate President Kennedy fears that if he moves against Castro -> Soviets retaliate in Berlin Potential stage set for nuclear war Kennedy and the CIA put together the Bay of Pigs operation Exiled Cuban fighters would invade Cuba Plan was to cause a revolt against Castro Sunday, April 16, 1961 -> becomes a complete disaster by Wednesday Soviet Response After the Bay of Pigs, Soviets send advisors to Cuba Nikita Kruschev begins to ship nuclear weapons into Cuba in 1962 In October 1962, Kennedy finds Soviet ships carrying these missiles Orders blockaide around Cuba Gave both sides an opportunity to reach a peaceful solution Krushchev agrees to pull weapons out of Cuba -> Kennedy agrees not invade Cuba Key Players Vietnam War Vietnam War By 1963, the United States had been drawn into the Vietnam War By this time, many nations in southeast Asia gained independence France refuses to let go of Indochina -> Leads to war Leader of this struggle with French colonial rule is the local Communist party led by Ho Chi Minh. Division of Vietnam China and the USSR wanted to avoid ANOTHER conflict with the United States Pressure Vietnam to agree to a temporary partition -> Vietnam is divided into two parts North Vietnam -> Communist South Vietnam -> non - Communist Both sides had agreed to hold an election within 2 years to create one state Conflict spirals out of control President Johnson's Decision Viet-Cong on verge of seizing South Vietnam by 1965 March of 1965, LBJ sends U.S. Troops into Vietnam to stop spread of Communism Revisited fear of a Domino Theory in Southeast Asia Public Opinion Despite superior in equipment and firepower, U.S. troops fail to defeat North Vietnamese Anti-War movement begins to take flight in the United States Television Draft age President Johnson is pardoned, does not run for reelection Nixon takes office & removes troops from Vietnam in 1973 Theory Disproved Despite communist success in Vietnam-> domino theory proves to be false Split between USSR and Communist China Ends western thought process that one form of communism exists Directed by Moscow By the end of Vietnam -> U.S. and Soviet relations begin to emerge.