Kennedy & Johnson Chapters 38 & 39 Kennedy’s Presidency • Young, inspirational, refreshing • Young Cabinet – Sec. of Defense - Robert McNamara – Attorney General - Robert Kennedy • Wanted to target organized crime and civil rights violations • Peace Corps - volunteers in underdeveloped countries New Frontier • Helped expand the House Rules Committee – Decides the rules for new programs and how effective they might be – Had been dominated by conservatives • Went after big businesses and later decided on a tax cut • Promoted the idea of landing a man on the moon Problems in Europe • JFK met with Krushchev in 1961 – Krushchev was very belligerent and threatened to cut off West Berlin • Back off and built the Berlin Wall • To keep people in East Germany • Became THE symbol of the Cold War Foreign Flare-Ups & Flexible Response • Southeast Asia – Laos - was a civil war where there was the threat of communism • JFK decided not to send troops • Brinksmanship left little room for choice for dealing with smaller Cold War threats • JFK & McNamara come up with Flexible Response – A larger number of military options – Nukes…Navy Seals…. Green Berets Vietnam • Flexible Response proved dangerous because it led to easier involvement – Could then lead to escalation • Diem was in control of a shaky S. Vietnam – JFK ordered a # of military advisors there – Kennedy’s Adm. Eventually encouraged a coup against Diem in 1963 • Led to the political disintegration of the country • At this time it was still “their war,” but we were becoming more involved JFK & Cuba • 1961 - JFK creates the Alliance for Progress – Marshall Plan for Latin America – Not as effective • JFK inherited the plans for the Bay of Pigs invasion from Ike – Plan to oust Castro by training and supporting Cuban refugees to overthrow his govt. – Was a disaster from the start and JFK decided against helping – Pushed Castro closer to the Soviets Cuban Missile Crisis • Spy photos above Cuba revealed that the Soviets had given Castro nuclear weapons – 90 miles / 5 minutes (via ICBM) • JFK decided on a “quarantine” of Cuba (a blockade) – Went on for a week and no one was backing down – Eventually a deal was made to not invade Cuba and we would remove our missiles from Turkey • In 1991, we found out how bad it could have been Aerial Photos of Missiles in Cuba JFK’s Assassination • JFK is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas in 1963 – A few days later he is killed by a man named Jack Ruby – Is an investigation by the Warren Commission • Lyndon Johnson becomes the new President Lyndon Johnson • Former Senate Majority Leader – Good with Congress and dealing • Arrogant and concieted • Fought for JFK’s initiatives when he took over – Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Banned racial discrimination in public facilities – Created the Equal Employment Opp. Commission • Need to win office in his own right Election of 1964 • Dems nominate LBJ • GOP nominate Barry Goldwater, Sen. From Arizona – Attacked income tax, Social Security, the TVA, civil rights leg. And the nuclear test ban treaty – Followers said “In your heart you know he’s right.” – LBJ’s supporters said “In your guts you know he’s nuts” Election of 1964- LBJ Wins War on Poverty & Great Society • Office of Economic Opportunity – $ for Appalachia • Dept. of Housing & UrbanDevelopment – Robert Weaver - first black cabinet sec. • Created the National Endowment for the Arts War on Poverty & Great Society • Created Medicare – Health insurance for the elderly – 1/2 of those over 65 had no health ins. • Medicaid – Health insurance for low-income families • Head Start - early reading program • Civil Rights Legislation – Voting Rights Act, 24th Amendment Gulf of Tonkin Incident • A U.S. destroyer, the Maddox, was attacked by N. Vietnamese gunboats while in international waters – A second ship, the C. Turner Joy later attacked • LBJ asks Congress for ability to protect U.S. forces and allies Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Passed with 2 dissenting votes in the House and 1 in the Senate • Allowed the Prez to “take all necessary steps, including the use of force, to assist any member…. Of the SEATO requesting assistance in defense of communism” • Allowed LBJ to escalate in Vietnam Johnson & Vietnam • After an attack against U.S. forces in Pleiku LBJ launches air strikes • “Operation Rolling Thunder” – Massive bombing of N. Vietnam • Soon took over the war from S. Vietnam – Worried about the “domino theory” – Escalation continued U.S. Troops on Vietnam Vietnam Opposition to Vietnam • Allowed the Soviets more influence elsewhere while we were busy • Anti-war demonstrations grew at home - especially at colleges • Lots of protest to the draft • Horrible images coming back from the war did not help Images from Vietnam Credibility Gap • Was always talk of success – When the bombing stopped it seemed like no advantage had been gained • Dropped more bombs in one year than during all of WWII – Constantly told success was around the corner - just need more troops – Constant talk about high number of Vietcong and N. Vietnamese casualties but no signs of winning Tet Offensive • Jan. 1968 was supposed to be a cease- fire for the Tet holiday • Vietcong and N. Vietnamese were supposed to be near defeat – Instead they launched a huge offensive – A military defeat for the Vietcong, but a big political victory • Highlighted the credibility gap Tet Offensive Massive coordinated attacks all over South Vietnam… sign of an army on the verge of defeat? PR Nightmare • Walter Cronkite came back from Vietnam - had been there for the Tet Offensive – Declared the Vietnam War “unwinnable” • "If I've lost Cronkite," Johnson reportedly told an aide, "I've lost middle America." Trouble for LBJ • LBJ, a sitting President, was being challenged for the GOP nomination by Eugene McCarthy – Almost lost to him in the NH primary – A sign he had lost the public’s confidence – Robert Kennedy also joined the race • LBJ announces he would not seek a second term Election of 1968 • Dems nominate Hubert Humphrey – RFK assassinated during the campaign • Because of his stance on Israel and the 1967 Arab-Israeli war (Sirhan Sirhan) – Dem convention in Chicago was a mess • Lots of protests that turned violent thanks to mayor Daley - hurt the party • GOP nominates Richard Nixon – “law & order, “silent majority” – “honorable peace” in Vietnam • Close, but Nixon Wins – George Wallace polls well - segregation Election of 1968 1960s Cultural Upheaval • More and more money being spent in Vietnam - less for Great Society projects • Protest grew against the war, poverty, racial conflict • Protest movement among the young grew • “hippie” movement (drugs, counter-culture) • “patriotism” became a dirty word • Sexual Revolution – “The Pill” and “free love” (with no thought about consequences or STDs).