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Sputnik
Soviet Union launched Sputnik, which was the worlds first satalite. During the cold war with high tensions, this was very threatening to the U.S and it launched a technological race as well. From then on both countries were competitive in their advancements, and it was threatening and evocted fear. -
U2 Incident
It was a confrontation between Soviets and U.S where a U.S spy plane got shot down. Gary Powers lived and was safe but in enemy territory in Moscow. On May 5, 1960, the Soviet premier Nikita S. Khrushchev told the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. that an American spy plane had been shot down on May 1 over Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), referring to the flight as an “aggressive act” by the United States. On may 7 the US claimed there was no authorization. -
JFK Election
On November 8, 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy won over Vice President Richard Nixon, of the Republican Party. The election was dominated by cold war tensions. In Cuba, the revolutionary regime of Fidel Castro became became close to the Soviets, and communism was threatening. Many thought war with the Soviet Union was inevitable.
Kennedy was very young and had a seeming lack of experience in foreign affairs, and he was of Catholic faith. -
Yuri Gagarin
He was the first man to fly in space in 1961 and he circled the earth.
It was during the time that US and USSR were racing for tech supremacy and it came after sputnik. The Vostok 1 spacecraft blasted off from the Soviets' launch site. No one was certain how weightlessness would affect a pilot, and the round capsule had little in the way of onboard controls. The work was done either automatically or from the ground. It was a 108 min flight. -
Bay Of Pigs
The ultimate goal was the overthrow of Castro and the establishment of a non-communist government friendly to the United States. The CIA set up training camps in Guatemala. On April 15, 1961, eight bombers left Nicaragua to bomb Cuban airfields. On April 17, the Cuban-exile invasion force landed along the Bay was under fire. Castro ordered 20,000 troops to advance toward the beach, and the Cuban air force continued to control the skies. The invasion was crushed and the Cubans won -
Kennedy's speech to congress
Kennedy explained that though the US had talent, we lack goals or managed our resources and time to get fulfillment.He wanted funds for space activities and wanted the nation to commit itself to land a man on the moon and return him to the earth by the time the decade is out. He emphasized it is a serious time and it is the obligation to at least make recommendations to the congress- they must decide for the best interests of the US. -
Building of the Berlin Wall
Communist Govt. began to build barbed wire and concrete wall between east and west Berlin to keep western “Fascists” from entering the east and undermining the socialist state. The wall stretched over 100 miles and it ran through the center then wrapped around the West. It was first barbed wire and concrete but then became a more sturdy structure with concrete blocks topped with barbed wire. Many died trying to cross. -
Khrushchev announces over Radio Moscow that he has agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba-after U2 plane shot down
An American U-2 is shot down over Cuba killing the pilot, Major Rudolf Anderson.In addition a plane flew into Soviet airspace and was almost intercepted. Kennedy writes Khrushchev a letter stating that he will make a statement that the U.S. will not invade Cuba if Khrushchev removes the missiles from Cuba. Therefor Kruschev removes the missles and he announces it over the radio to the poeple of moscow. -
START OF CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS
A U-2 flying over western Cuba discovers missile sites.
Photographs obtained by this flight provide hard evidence that Soviets have missiles in Cuba. This started the 6 day long cold war period that left the Soviets and US super scared. In fact the US go to DEFCON 2 but that is explained more in the Cuban Missle crisis. -
Cuban Missle Crisis-DEFCON 2
After bay of pigs, Cuba asked Khrushchev for help, who secretly deployed missiles to Cuba to protect/ counteract US missiles in Italy. Kennedy claimed to intercept shipments to Cuba but the blockade was considered an act of war; USSR was mad. US demanded the removal of missiles-spy plane was hit by soviets, sub hit by US trying to signal it to come up but the sub commanders were to deep to hear it, they prepared a torpedo, but one leader thought against it. Close to DEFCON 2 -
Kennedy’s speech for Cuban Missile Crisis
The USSR planted missiles in cuba so that means that there could be a possible attack on major cities in the United States. Kennedy's speech was to inform the public about the soviet missiles in Cuba and the threat they pose. The speech rose panic in people, obviously because it addressed the threat of a missile attack on the US.
