John F. Kennedy was extremely against the progression of Communism during the beginning of the cold war. Cuba and whether the Soviet space and missile programs had surpassed those of the U.S were deciding factors in even Kennedy’s election and remained issues throughout his short presidency. Other issues included Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Race, the building of the Berlin Wall, the African-American Civil Rights Movement, increased U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, Peace Corps, and banning nuclear testing.
Bay of Pigs Invasion:
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA-sponsored
paramilitary group Brigade 2506 on 17 April 1961.
A counter-revolutionary military, trained and funded by the United States government's Central Intelligence Agency, Brigade 2506 fronted the armed wing of the Democratic Revolutionary Front and intended
to overthrow the revolutionary left-wing government of Fidel Castro.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA-sponsored
paramilitary group Brigade 2506 on 17 April 1961.
A counter-revolutionary military, trained and funded by the United States government's Central Intelligence Agency, Brigade 2506 fronted the armed wing of the Democratic Revolutionary Front and intended
to overthrow the revolutionary left-wing government of Fidel Castro.
The Cuban Missile Crisis:
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a
13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the Soviet Union and Cuba on one
side and the United States, under the control of JFK, on the other side. The crisis is
generally regarded as the moment in which the Cold War came closest to turning into a nuclear conflict and
is also the first documented instance of Mutual Assured Destruction being discussed as a
determining factor in a major international arms agreement.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a
13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the Soviet Union and Cuba on one
side and the United States, under the control of JFK, on the other side. The crisis is
generally regarded as the moment in which the Cold War came closest to turning into a nuclear conflict and
is also the first documented instance of Mutual Assured Destruction being discussed as a
determining factor in a major international arms agreement.
Space Race/Project Apollo:
The Space Race was a 20th-century (1955–1972) competition
between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United
States (US), for supremacy in spaceflight capability. The Space Race spawned pioneering efforts to launch artificial satellites, unmanned probes of the Moon, Venus and Mars, and human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and to the Moon. Kennedy's goal was accomplished on the Apollo 11 mission when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their Lunar Module on the Moon on July 20, 1969, and walked on its surface.
The Space Race was a 20th-century (1955–1972) competition
between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United
States (US), for supremacy in spaceflight capability. The Space Race spawned pioneering efforts to launch artificial satellites, unmanned probes of the Moon, Venus and Mars, and human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and to the Moon. Kennedy's goal was accomplished on the Apollo 11 mission when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their Lunar Module on the Moon on July 20, 1969, and walked on its surface.
Berlin Wall:
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic
Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East
Germany and from East Berlin. These are JFK's words during his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech:
Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was civis romanus sum ["I am a Roman citizen"]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner!"... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin,
and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner!"
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic
Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East
Germany and from East Berlin. These are JFK's words during his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech:
Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was civis romanus sum ["I am a Roman citizen"]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner!"... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin,
and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner!"
The Peace Corps:
The Peace Corps is a volunteer program run by the United States government. The stated mission of the Peace Corps includes providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand American culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries. The work is generally related to social and economic development. Each program participant, a Peace Corps Volunteer, is an American citizen, typically with a college degree, who works abroad for a period of 27 months after three months of training. Volunteers work with governments, schools, non-profit organizations, non-government organizations, and entrepreneurs in education, hunger, business, information technology, agriculture, and the environment.
The Peace Corps is a volunteer program run by the United States government. The stated mission of the Peace Corps includes providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand American culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries. The work is generally related to social and economic development. Each program participant, a Peace Corps Volunteer, is an American citizen, typically with a college degree, who works abroad for a period of 27 months after three months of training. Volunteers work with governments, schools, non-profit organizations, non-government organizations, and entrepreneurs in education, hunger, business, information technology, agriculture, and the environment.
Vietnam:
Kennedy made it plain that he supported the ‘Domino Theory’ and he was convinced that if South Vietnam fell to communism, then other states in the region would as a consequence. Kennedy became convinced that Diem could never unite South Vietnam and he agreed that the CIA should initiate a program to overthrow him. A CIA operative, Lucien Conein, provided some South Vietnamese generals with $40,000 to overthrow Diem with the added guarantee that the US would not protect the South Vietnam leader. Diem was overthrown and killed in November 1963. Kennedy was assassinated three weeks later.
Kennedy made it plain that he supported the ‘Domino Theory’ and he was convinced that if South Vietnam fell to communism, then other states in the region would as a consequence. Kennedy became convinced that Diem could never unite South Vietnam and he agreed that the CIA should initiate a program to overthrow him. A CIA operative, Lucien Conein, provided some South Vietnamese generals with $40,000 to overthrow Diem with the added guarantee that the US would not protect the South Vietnam leader. Diem was overthrown and killed in November 1963. Kennedy was assassinated three weeks later.
The Space Race:
Kennedy was incredibly "anti-communist" all of his life. During his presidency, Kennedy participated in the "Space Race". This was the race to get the first man into space and onto the moon. These are Kennedy's words regarding the Space Race:
"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills; because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win...
It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency."
Kennedy was incredibly "anti-communist" all of his life. During his presidency, Kennedy participated in the "Space Race". This was the race to get the first man into space and onto the moon. These are Kennedy's words regarding the Space Race:
"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills; because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win...
It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency."