History of the Americas
IB Study Review
Cold War:Topic 5
Exam 2012: In what ways, and with what significance did either Kennedy or Reagan influence the development of the Cold War?
Kennady
- Approved operation of Cuba's Bay of Pigs where the US. lost.
- Ordered substantial increases in American intercontinental ballistic missile forces.
- Added five new army divisions and increased the nation's air power and military reserves.
- Cuban Missile Crisis; placed a naval blockade around Cuba
- Sent 500 Special Forces Troops and Military advisers to Vietnam
- Efforts to combat Communists influence in other countries
- Khrushchev putting up the Berlin Wall
- The United States joined NATO which spurred the Soviet Union to create an alliance with Eastern Europe
- Pushed for a package of new social welfare spending program that he called the "New Frontier"
- Put money into the Alliance for Progress to thwart Communists by ending poverty
Regan
- Main contribution to the process was his willingness to move from his strong anti-communist and anti-soviet position but negotiated
- Process of negotiations to progress
- Agreed to resume the arms-control negotiations,which had ended after the Soviet Union walked out November 1983
- Proposed the USSR and the U.S. reduce all strategic nuclear weapons stocks by 50% and announced plans fro a reduction int he number of Soviet missiles
- Four U.S.-Soviet summits took place in Geneva, Reykjavik, Washington, and Moscow.
- In the 1970's Nixon,Ford, and Carter pursued detente, the reduction of Cold War tensions and achievement of peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union.
- Creation of the Reagan Doctrine
- Cold War policies were designed to spread freedom and democracy around the world
- Strategic Defense Initiative intimated the Soviet leaders and the collapse of communism
- Tearing of Berlin Wall