■Essential QuestionEssential Question:

–To what degree did Kennedy’s “New Frontier” domestic & foreign policy differ from Truman & Eisenhower in the 1950s?

■Reading Quiz 28AReading Quiz 28A

Kennedy & the New Frontier

JFK Video

JFK’s New Frontier■The election of 1960 between

Richard Nixon & John F. Kennedy was the 1st to use TV debates:–Nixon was much better known

but the TV debates helped swing undecided voters towards JFK

–1960 marked the beginning of television dominance in politics

–Image & appearance became essential traits for candidates

But, it was not the 1st time TV influenced politics…

Eisenhower used TV to campaign in 1952 & 1956

McCarthy was destroyed by TV in the Army-Senate

hearings

Nixon used to TV to defend himself in the “Checkers” speech

TN Senator Kefauver used TV to investigate

organized crime

JFK’s New Frontier■Kennedy’ administration reflected

youth, energy, & sharp break from Eisenhower

■JFK promised a New FrontierNew Frontier:–Domestic reforms in education,

health care, & civil rights–A foreign policy committed to

defeating the Soviet Union & winning the Cold War

The JFK era began “Camelot”

comparisons with JFK as a modern-day

Lancelot

JFK’s New Frontier■JFK’s New Frontier promised a

return of FDR-era liberal policies:–But, Conservatives in Congress

opposed JFK’s social reforms in education & health care

–Congress did help the poor–The modernization of industry,

gov’t spending, & a major tax cut in 1963 stimulated the economy & created jobs

Aid for public schools…

…the extension of Social Security…

…unemployment benefits…

…and medical insurance for the elderly were all shot down by Congress

An increase in the minimum wage

Increased funds for public housing

JFK’s New Frontier■One long-lasting achievement of

the JFK-era was strengthening the presidency:

–Eisenhower left many decisions to his staff, but JFK demanded more direct presidential control

–JFK transferred much of the decision-making power from the cabinet to his White House staff

JFK appointed tough, pragmatic, & academic “New Frontiersmen” to his staff

Kennedy referred to his staff as the “the best & the brightest”

Kennedy Intensifies the Cold War

Kennedy Intensifies the Cold War■Addressing U.S. foreign policy &

containing Communism was JFK’s top priority as president:–JFK believed Ike compromised

with the USSR when the Cold War could have been won

–JFK aimed to close the “missile gap” & increase U.S. defenses

–Looked to solve issues in Berlin, Vietnam, & Cuba

“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 to assure the survival & success of liberty. We will do this & more.”

—JFK’s inaugural address

Flexible Response■JFK shifted from Ike’s “mutually

assured destruction” to a “flexible response” capable of responding to a variety of future problems:–Increased nuclear arsenal to

1,000 ICBMs & 32 Polaris subs to create a “first-strike” capability

–Increased the army & air force–Expanded covert operations &

created the Green Berets

JFK was convinced that the USSR had more missiles, but really the U.S. had the lead with

600 B-52s, 2 Polaris subs, 2,000 warheadsTo combat Communism & to help

underdeveloped countries, JFK created the Peace Corps & the Alliance for Progress

The Space Race■JFK hoped to avoid another

Sputnik & hoped to beat the Soviets to the moon:

–JFK greatly expanded NASA & announced that the U.S. would get to the moon by 1970

–The U.S. landed a man on the moon in 1969

The Apollo Program

Crisis over Berlin■JFK’s 1st confrontation with the

Soviet Union came in Berlin:

–Khrushchev was upset with the exodus of skilled workers from East Germany to West Berlin

–The USSR threatened to remove all U.S. influence from West Berlin, but settled on building the Berlin Wall in 1961

“Ich bin ein Berliner”—JFK, 1963

Containment in Vietnam■Vietnam proved to be a tough test:

–Since 1954, Communist leader Ho Chi MinhHo Chi Minh gained popularity in North Vietnam; By 1961, he gained a foothold in the South

–The U.S. gave aid to unpopular South leader Ngo Dihn DiemNgo Dihn Diem

–When Diem lost control of the South, JFK gave the OK for a coup against Diem in 1963

“Strongly in our mind is what happened in China at the end of World War II, where

China was lost. We don’t want that.”—JFK

Vietnam Viet Minh are Vietnamese communists in North Vietnam

Viet Cong are Vietnamese communists in South Vietnam

Containing Castro: Bay of Pigs■Fidel Castro took over Cuba in

1959 & developed ties with Russia

–The Eisenhower administration (directed by the CIA) had been training Cuban exiles for an invasion & overthrow of Castro

–In 1961, JFK gave the OK for the CIA to initiate the Bay of Pigs invasion

JFK blamed the Republicans for allowing a “communist satellite” to arise on “our very doorstep”

The invasion called for U.S. air support but JFK canceled the air strike; without air

support, Castro squashed the invasion

Kennedy took full responsibility for the failure of Bay of Pigs, but did not apologize for coup

Cuban Missile Crisis■To protect Cuba from another

U.S. invasion, the USSR began a secret build-up of nuclear missiles

■On Oct 14, 1962 a U-2 spy plane discovered Cuban missile camps

■How would the U.S. respond?

24 medium-range & 18 short range ICBMs

Naval blockade to keep warheads out?

Diplomacy: trade nukes in Cuba for nukes in Turkey?

Immediate air strike?Full-scale invasion?Kennedy chose to “quarantine” Cuba to

keep new missiles out & an invasion of Cuba if the USSR did not remove its nukes

The Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy announced a quarantine (blockade) to keep more missiles out & demanded that the Soviets remove the missiles already in Cuba

Cuban Missile Crisis■The standoff ended when Russia

removed its Cuban missiles & the USA vowed to never invade Cuba

■The impact of the crisis:–Seen as a political victory for JFK–Installed a “hot line” to improve

US-Soviet communications–This near-nuclear war convinced

both sides to move from confrontation to negotiation

“Our most basic common link is the fact that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the

same air. We all cherish our children’s future. We are all mortal.”

—JFK

And…U.S. removal of nuclear weapons in Turkey

■Essential QuestionEssential Question:

–To what degree was Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” a continuation of JFK’s “New Frontier” domestic agenda?

■Reading Quiz Ch 28BReading Quiz Ch 28B

“Let Us Continue”

LBJ Video

"Let Us Continue"■On Nov 22, 1963 in Dallas, JFK

was assassinated & VP Lyndon Johnson became president:–LBJ was a master politician with

a reputation for getting results–LBJ promised to continue

Kennedy's liberal agenda–LBJ ultimately exceeded JFK’s

record on providing economic & racial equality

LBJ helped push through the greatest array of liberal legislation in U.S. history (“Great

Society”), surpassing FDR’s New Deal

Americans were stunned this rapid succession of events

Lyndon Johnson in Action■LBJ quickly pushed through

Congress 2 key “Kennedy” bills:

–A $10 billion reduction in income taxes that led to increased consumer spending & new jobs

–The Civil Rights Act of 1964Civil Rights Act of 1964 that declared segregation in public facilities illegal & protected black voting rights

The most significant legislation on race since the Reconstruction Amendments

Lyndon Johnson in Action■In 1964, LBJ waged a “war on

poverty in America” & created the Office of Economic Opportunity:–Created the Job Corps for high

school dropouts–Head Start for preschoolers–Adult education & technical

training opportunities ■As a result of, America had 10

million fewer poor people by 1970

In 1964, the U.S. had 35 million poor people

The Election of 1964■In 1964, LBJ ran against:

–Conservative Republican Barry Goldwater rejected LBJ’s liberal welfare programs & called for a stronger foreign policy stance

–Segregationist George Wallace■LBJ won in a landslide & the

Democrats took control of Congress for 1st time in 25 years

The “Daisy” Campaign Spot

http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1964

Click on the “Daisy Ad”

The Great Society ■Once elected, LBJ initiated his

“Great SocietyGreat Society” domestic agenda:–Medicare & Medicaid extended

health insurance to the elderly & the poor

–Extended $1 billion to improve public & parochial schools

–The Voting Rights Act of 1965Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned literacy tests & provided for federal registrars for polls

The Triumph of Reform■By 1965, Congress passed

89 laws or reforms as part of LBJ’s social agenda:–The Great Society was the most

comprehensive agenda of social reform since FDR

–But…the American people did not respond well to LBJ

–Soon…events in Vietnam, would taint his presidency

Johnson Escalates the Vietnam War

LBJ Escalates the Vietnam War■LBJ continued JFK’s strong

foreign policy positions too:–He supported CIA-sponsored

coups in Brazil, Panama, & the Dominican Republic

–LBJ continued Eisenhower & JFK policies towards Vietnam

■But in doing so, LBJ found himself under attack from Congress, the media, & universities

“I am not going to lose Vietnam. I am not going to be the president who saw

Southeast Asia go the way China went.”—LBJ

LBJ Escalates the Vietnam War■During the Gulf of Tonkin affair in

Aug 1964, the military bombed North Vietnam in retaliation for an attack on the USS Maddox

■The Gulf of Tonkin ResolutionGulf of Tonkin Resolution gave LBJ the authority to:

–Defend Vietnam at any cost

–Unlimited military intervention to be used at LBJ’s discretion

The Vietnam War

Escalation■1965 marked the beginning of full-

scale U.S. involvement in Vietnam–LBJ was informed that “without

U.S. action, defeat is inevitable”–LBJ authorized bombing raids

into North Vietnam & requested 50,000 U.S. soldiers sent to Asia

■LBJ never explained to the American people how the gov’t planned to win the war in Vietnam

LBJ’s advisors wanted 100,000 troops in 1965 & a plan for 100,000 more in 1966; Estimations

were 500 U.S. deaths per month

LBJ took middle road of limited U.S. intervention: not a withdrawal & not a full-scale invasion of North Vietnam

Stalemate■By 1968, 500,000 U.S. troops

stationed to keep Vietnam from falling to Communism–U.S. bombings & “search &

destroy” attacks were ineffective–Soviet & Chinese weaponry

freely flowed into North Vietnam–Reckless bombings killed

thousands of innocent civilians■The bloody stalemate & media

depiction of the war led to protests

Conclusions■The early 1960s under JFK

represented consume spending, a strong stance on the Cold War, & more social reforms at home

■The transition to LBJ in 1963 brought success at home (civil rights & the Great Society)

■But, heightened involvement in Vietnam signaled the onset of the counter-culture movement by 1968

Class DiscussionClass Discussion: To what degree was the

USA winning the Cold War from 1945-1963?

The Cold War: 1948-1975The Cold War under Truman: 1945-1952

The Cold War: 1948-1975The Cold War under Eisenhower: 1953-1960

The Cold War: 1948-1975The Cold War under Kennedy: 1961-1963

The Cold War: 1948-1975The Cold War under Johnson: 1963-1968